


Blood Warm & Wolf's Bane

by London9Calling



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arranged Marriage, Barebacking, Dubious Science, Enemies to Lovers, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Nipple Play, Rimming, Royalty kind of sort of (vampire royalty), Secrets, Smut, This is pretty much blood and sex and idiots to lovers that is all you need to know, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:42:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 92,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27472177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/London9Calling/pseuds/London9Calling
Summary: Three hundred years have passed since vampire Prince Oh Sehun has stepped foot in Korea. Not that lycan Kim Junmyeon knows that–– he’s much too busy trying to ward off alpha pheromones and help push Kim Jongin’s album up the charts (not necessarily in that order) to care. Meanwhile, Do Kyungsoo, Sehun’s bodyguard/bestfriend/who-even-knows-after-300-years, has his hands full trying to keep the prince out of trouble– and alpha Park Chanyeol is a complication he doesn’t need.
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Park Chanyeol, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun
Comments: 482
Kudos: 520





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for this AU came to me while reading Blood Link (블러드링크) by 오늘만 사는 형제. I owe the manhwa major credit as it gave me inspiration in many areas (world building / concept). That said, this story does not follow the manhwa’s story or plot (but legit, everyone should go read the manhwa because it is excellent). 
> 
> Otherwise, this is just a huge mashup of tropes that I wanted to write together partially to see if I could because I am weird like that. Muhahahhaahahahahahha ~
> 
> PS This is set in Seoul and I did my best to research but it is very possible (probable and likely) I have f*cked things up as I have never lived there. Sorry if that is the case. I have also skipped romanizing honorifics because I have never been entirely comfortable / confident in doing so. 
> 
> Thank you to Sara and K for being my lovely beta readers ♡
> 
> Chapters will be updated on Monday and Friday (a chapter on each day).

Yoo Yeonseok stepped out of the car and wrinkled his nose, immediately disgusted at the stench. It was worse because he could remember the smell, the same offensive odor clinging to the neighborhood over a century before. Why, when everything else tended to change, did certain  _ unpleasant _ things remain the same? No matter how long he existed in the world, he would never understand the patterns, the fabric of time that frayed and unraveled in unlikely places while staying stable in others. Why couldn’t time preserve nice things… He sighed, cringing when he caught another whiff.

Rainwater dripped from the restaurant gate's green tile roof, forming rivulets that poured onto the narrow cement sidewalk below. He watched the water for a moment, frowning at the miserable weather. A steep set of stone stairs were visible within the entrance, leading to a dark green door, hanging unevenly upon its hinges. 

Beside him, his bodyguards stepped into place. They probably seemed frivolous to the strangers who hurried by, their coats pulled tightly, umbrellas held open. The bodyguards no doubt looked like another show of wealth like Yoo Yeonseok’s neatly pressed suit or the model of sleek black car that he arrived in. They were not. It was not unimaginable that Yoo Yeonseok might be attacked at that place. Traveling without bodyguards would be a rookie mistake, one that a vampire of his tenure could not afford to make. 

After all, anger tended to drudge up the wolfish nature of lycans. It made them unpredictable, one of many attributes Yeonseok found intolerable in their kind. In his centuries alive, he had done his best to avoid lycans– to him, the species was  _ almost  _ as distasteful as humans, not to mention their long antagonistic history with vampires. Necessity, however, reared its ugly head. He might not favor lycans, but he needed them. Or, more accurately, he needed _ one _ of them. And he was very aware that what he was asking could elicit only one real response: unbridled rage. 

Yeonseok had called the meeting on neutral ground – a part of Seoul far from the Lycan's de facto headquarters. It was an old place, a place he knew well. As he climbed the stone steps to the restaurant, memories of the nearby palace garden bled through into the present. It was always like that for his kind, the disorienting blend of past and present coloring their world. He could not help but consider what the future may bring and how it, too, would be woven together with this landscape. 

  
  


Kim Ji Hoon was early by twenty minutes, but he was still the last to arrive. Yeonseok dared to tap the face of his watch when the lycan Pack Leader walked in, setting a tone for their meeting. 

“You’re looking well,” Yeonseok drawled, making no attempt to hide the way he was sizing Ji Hoon up. “A bit older than the last time we met, but well.”

The lycan leader was grey at the temple, and the wrinkles around his eyes had deepened. Aging was a tragic trait of humans and lycans, one that Yeonseok was more than happy to never have to face.

Ji Hoon took a seat across from Yeonseok, his discomfort evident in how he shifted in his place. “What business do you have with me?”

“Can’t the respective leaders of their kind meet for a friendly dinner?” Yeonseok asked, raising his wine glass to his lips. “Should we invite the President too and make it a happy occasion?”

Ji Hoon snorted. “I see your humor hasn’t improved since I last saw you. Now cut the small talk. What do you want?”

“You wound me with your words.” Yeonseok clutched at his chest in mock injury. “But I suppose we both have better things to do than sit across from one another. In short, I am here to collect the debt you owe me.”

“Go on,” Ji Hoon said gruffly, crossing his arms against his chest. 

“You see, we’ve encountered a bit of an issue.”

“ _ We _ ?” Ji Hoon quirked his eyebrow in question. 

“My kind,” Yeonseok clarified. Yeonseok stared into his wine glass, looking pensive. “Our blood is thinning.”

Ji Hoon stared blankly at the vampire. “Put that in plain language, please.”

“When a vampire welcomes their progeny, blood is exchanged, as it has been since the original seven Princes of our kind first gave their blood to their children. Now that ritual is killing us off.”

Ji Hoon put a hand to his mouth. Yeonseok could see he was smirking by the way his cheeks puffed. 

“This isn’t funny, dog.” 

“Oh, but it is.” Ji Hoon leaned back, amusement clear in his expression. “How long have we heard the importance of pure blood from your kind, been called halflings due to our ancestors mixing with humans? Turns out your  _ pure _ blood isn’t invincible after all, and that is quite funny all things considered.”

“You owe me a favor.” Yeonseok set his jaw in a tight line.

Ji Hoon shrugged, the smile leaving his lips. “I suppose I do.” The mood in the room shifted. “What do you want?” 

“Your second son is a full-blooded omega, or at least as full-blooded as you dogs can be, isn’t he?” Yeonseok ignored the way Ji Hoon visibly stiffened, his shoulders suddenly tense. “I don’t have to tell you how fertile the full-blooded omegas of your kind are. Have you not held them as prized members of your species for generations?”

When Ji Hoon did not answer, Yeonseok continued. “Lycans are already hybrids, part human and part wolf. After all, your kind can’t even shift forms anymore; your genetics have been so intertwined with humans over the centuries. With science, I believe these same genetics could mix favorably with those of vampires. An omega could very well carry the offspring of a vampire. A neat little fix to my current problem.”

“You want me to give you my son as a medical experiment?” Ji Hoon looked ready to kill, a flash of red stinging his irises. 

“No.” Yeonseok held up his hand as if to diffuse the situation. “I want him to marry into my family as the husband of one of my sons. That way I can ensure he will be accepted into the folds of my court, respected as one of my own. And it will be better for the child if the parents are together, isn’t that right?” Yeonseok thought some humans and lycans held that belief, didn’t they? Or was it the opposite? Social issues were so hard to keep up on, they changed with each generation, it seemed…

“My son will not marry a vampire! I won’t hear of it,” Ji Hoon spat. 

“Ji Hoon, my old friend.” Yeonseok tilted his head slightly to the side, his expression void of emotion. “Need I remind you that you owe me a favor.  _ Anything of my choosing _ . Or did you already forget how your mate would be dead if it weren’t for my help all those years ago. I saved her life, Ji Hoon, and you owe me.”

Silence hung heavy between the two men, broken when Ji Hoon asked through gritted teeth, “Who is it? Who do you want him to marry?”

“Prince Oh Sehun. He is my son.” Yeonseok wrinkled his nose and looked away. “Excuse me. I forgot how strongly an angry lycan smells.”

Ji Hoon slammed his fist down on the table, the white dishware rattling. 

“You promised me anything I want, Ji Hoon. It’s too late to take it back now,” Yeonseok reminded him. “ _ Anything I want _ .”


	2. Chapter 1

Do Kyungsoo was not bad at directions. He knew exactly how long, marching on foot, it took to get from the Gakhwangsa Temple to the Palace. He could quickly figure out how long it would take to reach the best Gisaeng house south of the river (assuming he set out from the home of Yoo Yeonseok, his master, before the water carriers started to arrive at the gates of the city). The problem it seemed, was that the world had swallowed up all the landmarks he once knew and replaced them with….

“Lotte,” he said slowly, staring up at the glowing red sign. 

The streets were crowded, time slipping by in a way it only could in a large city. Kyungsoo felt alien to the new Hanseong he stepped foot in, finding little to remind him of the place he had left ages ago. 

Kyungsoo felt a hard jolt to the middle of his back, sending him stumbling forward a few inches. When he turned around, he was met with a student giving him a dirty look, like he was the one who had bumped into  _ her _ , not the other way around. Kyungsoo frowned at her before she turned to stomp off into the crowd of people. He sighed, feeling lost and uncomfortable. 

His phone, another modern contrivance, buzzed in his pocket. It would be Sehun, asking when he would be back with the blood. Kyungsoo took one last, long look at the blinking shopping mall sign before he hailed a cab, giving the driver the slip of paper Sehun had given him. He had tried to find the address on his own, but alas, he had to admit defeat. 

Kyungsoo stared out the window as the cab rolled through the streets, no longer trying to figure out exactly where he was in relation to the landmarks he vividly remembered. It was useless. They had been in China for almost three hundred years, Joseon had slipped away in that time. 

“Here’s the place,” the cab driver said, stopping in front of a nondescript brick building. Kyungsoo mumbled thanks and handed the driver a fare before alighting the vehicle. He would be happy when the car Sehun purchased was delivered to the apartment– though perhaps that wasn’t the best idea considering Kyungsoo’s bewilderment at his current surroundings. Everything felt disorganized and he hated it. 

It was unusual to have to pick up blood in person–the legends of vampires drinking from humans had gone the way of the horse and carriage, thankfully (Kyungsoo did not have fond memories of those days). It was a well thought out system now– most of the vampiric world was one colossal bureaucracy, including its food source. Need a new identity? There was an application for that. A website listed all essential members of the Vampiric hierarchy – in fact, they had email addresses. Offices.  _ Approval ratings _ . Their system was so orderly and defined even for a neat and concise person like Kyungsoo it seemed to be too much sometimes. 

Back in Beijing, the bureaucracy churned on, blood was delivery only, all the major blood banks had a complex and well-developed system of supply and demand. In Seoul, it should be similar, at least once you were firmly slotted into the vampiric community. But they had only arrived a few days before. Prince Yeonseok, Sehun’s father, had yet to even meet them in person. Sehun was whining about being hungry, and Kyungsoo had to do  _ something _ .

The entrance to the building was heavily secured, all visible windows were tinted. Kyungsoo ended up pushing a buzzer and hopping for the best. He was buzzed in a few seconds later– the benefit, he supposed, of vampires recognizing their own kind. 

The alchemical symbol for blood, defined in silver and affixed to the interior wall, was the first thing Kyungsoo saw when he entered the building. The logo identified the place as a blood bank, a confirmation he was in the right place. 

A walk through another set of doors later and Kyungsoo found himself in a sort of waiting area complete with a receptionist’s desk. An elderly looking vampire sat behind the counter, dressed in a bright green t-shirt and jeans, his hair long and held back with a hot pink hair band. The contradiction between his appearance and his age would have shocked humans, but for a vampire, such dichotomies were commonplace. Living for hundreds of years did  _ things _ to a person. Or well, a former person. 

“Welcome,” the man greeted, not looking up from his computer screen.

Kyungsoo cleared his throat and approached the desk. There were cartoonish vampire figurines on a shelf behind the counter, staring back in all their silliness. Kyungsoo wondered if any of them were Dracula, the only fictional vampire he could name, thanks to a rare movie night with Sehun.

“Do you have AB negative and A Positive in stock?” Kyungsoo asked, looking away from the toys. It was a question asked more out of politeness than need. Of course, they had both in stock, how could they not. A blood bank in a city as big as Seoul would have tens of thousands of human donors, the backbone of the vampiric blood supply– albeit one that was probably unaware the blood they gave for humans was funneled their way instead. “We’ve recently arrived, and we aren’t on a delivery schedule,” he added, to explain his sudden appearance.

“You're Korean?" The blood keeper asked, finally looking at Kyungsoo. 

"Um. Yes, though we have been out of the country for many years.”

“Name?”

“Do Kyungsoo.” The vampire’s fingers flew over the keyboard as he typed in the name. Kyungsoo belatedly added, “Prince Oh Sehun is here as well.”

The vampire looked up, his fingers instantly stilling. “Prince Oh Sehun?”

Kyungsoo nodded.

“ _ The _ Prince Oh Sehun?” the man repeated.

“I didn’t realize he was so well known,” he said quietly. 

“His father runs this city; of course, he is well known.” The vampire clucked his tongue. “Not to mention, he is the only one of Prince Yeonseok’s sons that hasn’t been in the area for centuries.”

Kyungsoo feigned a smile. “Right.” It was uncomfortable, though he supposed he would need to get used to it. In China, they were mainly left alone, Sehun’s royal status an afterthought. China had its own Vampiric royalty– an unbroken line of vampires who descended from one of the original seven vampires. It was their duty to rule, not Sehun’s. But now they had returned to Joseon -  _ er _ , Korea, Sehun’s status would have a profound impact on their interactions with any others of their kind.

“How much do you need?” the Blood keeper asked, fingers hovering over the keys. 

“Ten pints, please. Five of each.” Kyungsoo waited patiently as the man finished typing, answering questions when asked. Eventually the man stood and without a word disappeared through a door on the far wall. 

Kyungsoo went back to staring at the vampire toys, frowning. How had their kind become so… cartoonish and exaggerated? It was a bit mortifying what humans thought of them. Garlic and crosses, sunlight aversion - he had no idea where those types of myths had come from because they were entirely untrue. Humans, he supposed, were apt to try to fit everyone into a mold they created, be it vampire, lycan, or another human.

“Here, be careful–it is very cold.” The Blood Keeper handed off a small cooler to Kyungsoo. “And a free sample for the road.” He handed a small cup of blood to Kyungsoo, no more than an ounce. “Consider it a welcome home present for His Highness.”

Kyungsoo wanted to roll his eyes. Would it be like this all over the city? If so, Sehun would likely run back to China within the day. Kyungsoo lifted the small cup to his lips and took the shot of artificially warmed blood, inwardly grimacing at the taste. He had no idea how Sehun stomached AB negative. It was too sweet. “Thanks.” Kyungsoo nodded, trying not to pull a face.

“I’ll have you set up in the system for delivery. If you have any questions you can call the number on our card, I put one in the cooler. And please, give my regards to the prince.”

“Thank you, and I will.” Kyungsoo took the cooler, gripping its handles. He started to walk towards the door, only to be interrupted by the Blood Keeper.

“Sir, how long do you plan to stay in Seoul?”

Kyungsoo gripped the handle.  _ Not long _ , he thought. Sehun hated it here, there were so many bad memories. Even centuries did not seem to erase the pain the Prince felt, Kyungsoo knew it no matter how hard Sehun had tried to hide it from him.

“I’m not sure. That hasn’t been decided yet,” Kyungsoo answered as diplomatically as he could, not looking back as he left the Blood Bank. 

  
  


Kyungsoo could sense the energy a block away. It was something he could never put into words, the feeling of old and untainted blood being near. The sensation became overwhelming when the cab driver pulled over in front of their rented flat. When he stepped out onto the sidewalk, he felt dizzy.

“Prince Yeonseok,” Kyungsoo murmured, clutching the cooler.

Kyungsoo found it odd that Sehun’s father had waited so long to see them. It confused his suspicions that Yeonseok was the entire reason they had returned to  Joseon  Korea, which Sehun adamantly denied. 

According to Sehun, it had nothing to do with his father; it was his elder brother Yifan who had asked him to make the trip, all in the name of the business. They had founded an entertainment agency in China called VIVI Entertainment, something to occupy their days. A hobby to pass a few decades, playing human and surrounding themselves with beautiful (clueless human) people. Now Yifan wanted to take it to Korea, and Sehun was the one who was going to make it happen. They had already lined up a Korean language album for one of their top stars, now it was up to Sehun and Kyungsoo to oversee the release. 

Still, Kyungsoo found it suspicious. Sehun hated his birthplace, yet suddenly he agreed to go back for something as mundane as a business that, given the entirety of his life, meant extraordinarily little in the grand scheme of things. Another Director could have been sent to oversee it. It just didn’t make sense, leaving Kyungsoo to guess that Yeonseok had to be involved somehow.

It ate at Kyungsoo that he knew so little about the reasons they were back. He prided himself in his knowledge– it was his job to watch over Sehun– all the details and intricacies of his undead life faithfully kept by Kyungsoo. Now he was mostly in the dark, his questions met with vague answers or outright dismissals. He had never felt so distant from his charge in all the centuries he had worked for him. 

Kyungsoo tried to swallow down any anxiety the impromptu meeting dredged up in him. He remained composed as he punched the keycode into the apartment door, opening it and slipping inside. When he passed into the spacious living room, he found Sehun seated across from his father, Prince Yeonseok. Behind him were two bodyguards, looking bored as they stood at attention. 

“Kyungsoo,” Sehun said as soon as he entered the room. His tone was… off, which made Kyungsoo even more suspicious. 

“Your highness,” Kyungsoo turned towards Yeonseok and bowed, not forgetting to show his respect.

“Do Kyungsoo,” Yeonseok said slowly. “It makes me happy to see you’re still at Sehun’s side.”

It was uncanny, the resemblance between Sehun and Yeonseok, even more so because they weren’t genetically related. No, the blood they shared came from death, not life. Their relationship was of creator and progeny, the only relationship that dictated lineage in the world of Vampires. 

“My pleasure, your highness,” Kyungsoo said, keeping his eyes on the floor, his world spinning from the sudden proximity to old blood.

“He has little choice. Anyway,” Sehun drawled, in that slightly annoyed tone Kyungsoo was so used to. “Great news, Kyungsoo. I’m getting married. Oh, and having a baby.”

“What?!” Kyungsoo blurted out before he could think of how inappropriate the question was in front of Prince Yeonseok. 

“Seems there’s some kind of vampiric blood curse going around, blah blah blah. I need to impregnate a lycan and save our kind. I think those were the important parts,” Sehun rambled off. 

Kyungsoo tried to digest everything that Sehun had just said. Instead of quickly responding, he stared dumbly at the Prince. Vampires couldn’t have children… marriage? Wait, had he said lycan? As in …

“You’re marrying a lycan?” Kyungsoo gaped. 

“Unlike how my son describes it, there are excellent reasons for everything he is going to do. And rewards for complying,” Yeonseok said cryptically. 

Do Kyungsoo could not be sure if it were from hunger or shock or maybe a combination of both. He felt his world spin, a second later everything going black as he fainted, body crumpling onto the plush carpeting of Oh Sehun’s rented penthouse. 

  
  


Kyungsoo blinked, his eyelids fluttering open. It took him a minute to realize where he was– he wasn’t used to this place yet. He expected to see the deep red walls of their Beijing home, but instead, he was greeted with stark white walls and ceilings.

_ Joseon. _

He lifted his head, struggling to sit up. 

“You’ve been out for hours. I guess you  _ were _ hungry,” Sehun said, walking towards where Kyungsoo was lying on the sofa. Sehun carried a pouch of blood, which he summarily shoved towards Kyungsoo. “Drink.”

Kyungsoo gripped the pouch, tearing a corner open with his teeth and greedily slurping it down. His mind was the gentle hum of nothingness as he fed, the memory of his prior shock only flooding back as his energy returned. 

“Marriage?” he yelped, moving the pouch away from his lips.

"Apparently, Yifan didn't send me here out of the goodness of his heart." Sehun deadpanned. He sighed, shoulders heaving. Behind him, the floor to ceiling windows revealed the hazy night sky, an indication of how long he had been unconscious. 

“I don’t understand any of this.” Kyungsoo sat up, holding the pouch of blood between his hands, brow furrowed. “Vampires can’t have children, and marriage to a lycan is an insane idea. It’s worse than marriage to a human. At least humans don’t know our history, but lycans are…”

_ Our enemy. _

“My father says it will work. Medical science, blah blah.” Sehun plopped onto the white leather chair that sat opposite where Kyungsoo sat. He pulled his legs up, sitting in the slightly awkward way that was his habit. “He believes that lycans are the only hope to see our kind continue. New progeny and creators have started to become ill. Some kind of blood curse or something.”

“So now we will all start knocking up lycans instead?” Kyungsoo blurted out, knowing it sounded crude.

“I don’t know what his long-term goal is, but he’s adamant this is the way forward.” Sehun hugged his knees to his chest, eyes trained on the floor. 

“And you’ll do it?” Kyungsoo asked. “Have a child?”

“I don’t think I have an option,” Sehun said quietly. 

“Why?”

“I just don’t.”

Kyungsoo wanted to pry and demand more information. He wanted to remind the prince across from him that they had been the best of friends for generations, watching the world pass by as they stood side by side. He wanted to plead, to beg for Sehun to somehow reconsider the arrangement as he doubted anything good could come from associating with lycans. 

But he didn’t. He stayed silent, biting his tongue, reminding himself that his opinion would hold little weight against Yeonseok’s orders. He let the thoughts go, focusing on nothing but his diminishing hunger and the lingering discomfort of being around ancient blood. 

**⁂**

Kim Junmyeon’s gaze swept over the audience. He could tell that only about a third of them were paying attention to what he was saying, the rest were nodding politely and zoning out. He couldn't exactly blame them. A forty-five-minute presentation after a few hours of dinner and schmoozing was not conducive to a bright-eyed audience, not to mention he was speaking to a room half-full of… _ well _ .

Kim Jongin, the golden boy of Wolf Entertainment, sat at a table near the stage. He managed to look like he was listening, but Junmyeon doubted he was. They had known each other for most of their lives, and if there was one thing Jongin didn’t like to do, it was sitting still and paying attention to what Junmyeon had to say. If he wasn’t so damn marketable and amazing at what he did, Junmyeon might be offended. 

Lee Taemin, another star soloist, sat at the table next to Jongin’s. Around him was the all-alpha girl group Red Velvet. Rounding out the table was a recently debuted human actress who had no idea she was surrounded by lycans. Junmyeon guessed if she were told she would probably faint or scream or maybe do both.

“Say it together with me,” Junmyeon prompted, flicking the microphone, so a jolt of sound wretched through the auditorium. 

Across the auditorium Byun Baekhyun, who had been fast asleep, shot up from his seat, blinking in confusion before he realized where he was and quickly sat back down. Out of the corner of his eye, Junmyeon could see Chanyeol rolling his eyes. 

“We-” Junmyeon started, making sure that the audience was speaking along with him. “Are.” Pause. “One! Thank you all very much. Now go out there and be the best. We that WE can be!”

He swore he heard a few groans accompany the scattered applause. 

Junmyeon loosened his tie as he stepped off the stage, sucking in a breath. He could feel the perspiration on his brow, the room was stifling hot. He didn’t let his discomfort erase the bright smile on his face, however. Leadership was about keeping up appearances, among other things. 

“We need to talk,” Chanyeol was at his side the second he was away from the microphone, a tablet in his hands. “There’s news.”

“Please tell me it’s good news,” Junmyeon huffed, jogging down the three steps from the stage to the floor. It was a few steps before he could push open the door to the backstage area, the smile leaving his lips the second the door clicked behind him. 

He turned to face Park Chanyeol, his long-suffering personal assistant. One glance at Chanyeol and he knew the news was terrible. He could read Chanyeol like an open book, and “ _ oh shit _ ” was written all over the younger man’s face.

“Lee Jiwoon has been in contact. There are pictures.” 

Junmyeon flinched at the mention of the tabloid reporter. “Who is it, and how bad?”

“Kim Areum was caught with her girlfriend at Yeouido Park. They want the promise of exclusive rights to Jongin’s comeback stage, or they will publish the pics on Friday.” 

“Fuck.” Junmyeon gritted his teeth at the mention of their top girl group’s center. “How did they know to tail Areum?” he asked, beginning to walk down the long backstage corridor. The few production workers that were left milling about bowed and scurried out of his way, averting their gaze. 

“Not entirely sure,” Chanyeol explained, keeping step with his boss. “But there are rumors.”

“What kind of rumors?” Junmyeon felt a bead of sweat slide down his back, between his shoulder blades. His hand went back to his collar and began to undo the top button. Had it always been so warm backstage?

“VIVI Entertainment had a hand in it,” he answered, name-dropping a Chinese Entertainment company. 

As they reached a bank of elevators, Chanyeol reached forward, pressing the up button before Junmyeon could reach out. 

“Get Baekhyun up here and call Lee Jiwoon,” Junmyeon ordered. “I don’t want a word of this getting to my father, understood?”

“Got it, boss.” Chanyeol flashed an okay sign as the elevator doors slid open. 

Junmyeon made a move to step onto the elevator, but stopped midway, hand going to hold the door back. The scent hit him hard, and suddenly everything made a bit more sense. “Bring me some suppressants too,” he threw out. “And put on some cologne. You smell like–”

“An alpha. Yeah, yeah. Got it,” Chanyeol finished for him. 

Junmyeon rolled his eyes, stepping onto the elevator fully, the door sliding closed behind him. He could feel it, the annoying symptoms of his pre-heat. It was time to take a handful of suppressants; he didn't have time to step away from work for such a trifling inconvenience. 

A curse, he thought as he watched the red numbers on the elevator climb, it was a damn curse to be born an omega. 

  
  
  


Kim Junmyeon’s office was precisely sixty-three steps from the elevator bank, assuming you didn’t dawdle to chat with the receptionist. Fifteen steps from the elevator bank were one of many signs scattered around the six-story building. They were made of heavy plastic, though commissioned to appear to be metal. Industrial. Raw. Junmyeon liked the look– a little unkempt, a little dirty, but sleek in their own way. The letters spelled Wolf Entertainment, abbreviated as WE; the company he had taken over three years prior, his pride and joy. 

Wolf Entertainment was considered a premier entertainment company in Korea, the home of immensely popular actors and singers. It had been founded thirty years prior when Junmyeon was still toddling around his parent’s large flat. He had fond memories of running around the halls of the first WE office, getting into trouble while his father worked to make the company what it eventually became – his. 

It had seemed like an insurmountable task for Junmyeon to lead the company his father founded. He was born a rare omega – a lycan attribute that meant he was able to become pregnant but also afflicted with monthly heats if he didn’t take suppressants. The consensus among lycans were omegas were better suited to be left at home, nurturing, and caring for the next generation. It was a perception that Junmyeon had fought against since he was young, trying to prove to everyone that he could do what an alpha or beta could do, probably even better. 

With Junmyeon’s father assuming leadership of the lycans in Seoul, he had an immediate need to step back from running the company he had worked so tirelessly to found. Thankfully Junmyeon had managed to win over the last of his detractors around that time and assume control of WE. It was his now. 

Sixty-three steps from the elevator bank, on most days excluding Sunday, you could find Kim Junmyeon behind his oversized glossy black desk, fingers flying over the keyboard, brow usually furrowed as he tried to digest the ever-changing environment around him. 

For now, the CEO was slumped in his chair, fingers still, arms crossed over his chest. Sweat continued to trickle between his shoulder blades. He glanced at his watch. Chanyeol was undoubtedly taking his swee–

The door flew open so hard Junmyeon jumped. 

Chanyeol offered a sheepish grin. “Sorry.” He held up the small bottle of medication he had been tasked to fetch. “You could have told me you stashed these in the glove box.”

“I didn’t remember where I put them,” Junmyeon mumbled, wholly uncomfortable. He hated the feeling of pre-heat, the prickly warmth that seemed to dance along his nerve endings, making his entire body feel like complete and utter shit. It couldn’t come at a worse time, either. 

Chanyeol tossed them across the room, Junmyeon fumbled to catch them. “Baekhyun will be up in a minute.”

Junmyeon was still wrestling with the cap of the pill bottle when his Director of Communications sauntered into the office. “Hey boss, you might want to take something, I can smell you from–”

“Shut up,” Junmyeon hissed, finally getting the bottle open. He shook three pills out onto his palm, popping them in his mouth and swallowing. He could tell he was emitting omega pheromones, Chanyeol’s pronounced move of pinching his finger to his nose was a giveaway.

“Woah, okay. Touchy, are we.” Baekhyun fell into one of the chairs sitting opposite Junmyeon’s desk, the other occupied by Chanyeol, the assistant waiting with a tablet in hand, nose pinched shut. 

Junmyeon chugged from the water bottle on his desk, almost choking at the way the pills slid down his throat. His voice was hoarse when he began to speak. 

“Kim Areum’s–” Junmyeon bristled at his dry throat. “Chanyeol, you tell him.” Junmyeon gestured at his assistant, then leaned back in his chair. The medication was fast-acting, it would only take a few minutes before he would find some relief. 

He could still smell Chanyeol, the nauseating scent of alpha, making his stomach turn. Thank god Baekhyun was a beta and wouldn’t add to Junmyeon’s sensory overload. 

He should have realized his time was coming up. He usually would have, but he had been so busy with the summit as well as with the big album release for the second quarter. Kim Jongin was poised to release his second full album, and the company was all-hands-on-deck to make it a success.

“Well, it isn’t a good thing,” Baekhyun said after Chanyeol was done recounting the facts. The communications director was the epitome of bubbly, energetic, perpetually upbeat. Junmyeon needed that energy during times like this. “But it isn’t the worst. We can give them the first photospread for Jongin’s comeback and trade stories for what we have on VIVI’s Lu Han. That should satisfy Lee Jiwoon.”

“What do we have on Lu Han?” Junmyeon asked. He could feel his body temperature drop, his heart beginning to calm. 

Lu Han was about to release his Korean debut album, a highly anticipated release that would compete with Kim Jongin’s record. The press was already estimating the competition would be brutal – Lu Han had a massive fanbase in the country already without having once released an album in the language. A lot was riding on his debut, it would be VIVI’s first foray into the Korean entertainment world after dominating Mandopop for the better part of the last decade.

“More than we should probably share. He’s gay, has a Korean boyfriend, or so a few paparazzi swear. His release will be ruined if that gets out, but what would be the fun in that. We aren’t here to out anyone.”

“We can’t release that,” Junmyeon agreed. 

“I know, but we could tell them something harmless. A club he likes to go to. It won’t ruin his reputation entirely, just get people talking, speculating he likes to party.”

“But would that really satisfy them?” 

Baekhyun shrugged. “I don’t see why not. As long as we let them break Jongin’s comeback with exclusive pics on top of it, we should be okay. They have a lot more to fear from us than they do from VIVI.”

“I like it. Do it.” Junmyeon nodded. 

“What about VIVI?” Chanyeol asked. “If they were the ones to kick this off, they aren’t going to lay down and take a redirected scandal. Even if Lee Jiwoon has more to lose from us, they aren’t likely to be entirely immune from VIVI either.”

Junmyeon could guess as much. The story could potentially ruin their artist’s career. Whoever at VIVI had decided to play dirty was going all in, willing to bring as much harm to Wolf Entertainment as they could. 

“I’ve heard rumors from friends who worked in China,” Baekhyun started. “They say the top executives of VIVI are... you know.” He gestured lazily in the air.

“No, what?” Junmyeon asked, leaning forward. 

“Vampires. Ugh, I hate even saying it.” Baekhyun did a whole-body shiver.

“Vampires,” Junmyeon repeated slowly. “Are they trying to break the truce?”

“Oh, god. I’m too young to go to war,” Chanyeol whined. 

“Shut up, you’re not going to war.” Baekhyun admonished the alpha before trying to reassure Junmyeon. “I doubt this is that serious, probably has more to do with the entertainment business than vampire/lycan relations, but it’s a good thing to keep in mind. We’re dealing with bloodsuckers here.”

“Chanyeol, set up a call with the Director of VIVI’s Korean division,” Junmyeon ordered, going with his first instinct. He hoped it didn’t prove him wrong.

“Why?” Chanyeol challenged.

“Strategy.” Junmyeon tapped his finger on the desk. “Strategy.”

Junmyeon sincerely hoped it would work.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double Update today (Ch 2 and 3) ~ Enjoy ^^*

The office didn't suit Sehun, at least in Kyungsoo's opinion. It was too neat, too orderly, too...sparse. Centuries with Sehun had taught him the man was synonymous with chaos, disorder– so much, so he seemed to thrive in such an environment. Not the polished, neat, and compact space they had been given when they arrived at the rented office. 

The appearance of the office was a problem, albeit a minor one. What was more worrying was the call Kyungsoo had received two days prior – asking for a conference call between Oh Sehun and Wolf Entertainment’s CEO, Kim Junmyeon. 

Kyungsoo supposed if he were some sort of cartoon character, a lightbulb would have popped above his head at that moment, the pieces of his current unwieldy puzzle finally sliding together. He had filed away the name of Sehun’s lycan groom somewhere in his head to be drudged up and dissected later. As soon as Kyungsoo heard the deep voice of the man on the other end of the line, however, the name was instantly placed. 

“Is my meeting with CEO Kim today?” Sehun asked, not looking up from his laptop. 

“You mean your future husband?” Kyungsoo shot back. “Yes, it’s today. But why are we doing this? You said he doesn’t know yet, right? Why are you trying to get off on the wrong foot with him?”

Sehun looked up from his work, locking eyes with his loyal servant. “I’m not. Is it _ so _ wrong I want to meet my spouse before his head is filled with news of our marriage?”

“Over a phone call?” Kyungsoo tutted. “Sehun, you’re using the paparazzi as a weapon against his company. This might make sense for a business rivalry, but this is a person you’re expected to marry.”

Sehun snapped his fingers. "You’re right, a phone call isn’t enough. Call his people and tell them I want an in-person meeting."

Sehun's eyes flashed with mischief. Of all his children, why did Yeonseok pick Sehun for such a precarious situation? Kyungsoo couldn't understand. Yixing, Jongdae – any one of them would have been much better suited to the task. 

“It’s useless to argue with you,” Kyungsoo said, feeling the weight of his position bearing down on him. Oh Sehun was his friend, his employer, and also his biggest headache. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be nice to the dog,” Sehun cooed. 

Kyungsoo pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “There is so much wrong here. Where do I even begin.”

“Begin by calling Wolf Entertainment,” Sehun countered.

Kyungsoo reached for the nearest object, a glass paperweight, and mocked throwing it at Sehun’s head. The Vampire Prince burst into laughter, grating on Kyungsoo’s nerves. As Kyungsoo walked from the office, he had to remind himself of the oath he took centuries before when he had the misfortune of agreeing to be Prince Oh Sehun’s bodyguard and keeper. 

“Wolf Entertainment, this is Park Chanyeol, Assistant to CEO Kim Junmyeon speaking.” The words were rattled off in quick succession before a loud thud sounded through the receiver, causing Kyungsoo to hold the phone away from his ear. 

“S-sorry I. I dropped the phone. Hello? Hello, are you there?” 

Kyungsoo looked at the ceiling. He reminded himself that it was in everyone’s best interest to remain civil and get off on the right foot, so to speak. He had patience in abundance, so he could do this, even if Sehun’s tactics and motives were questionable at best. “Yes, hello, this is Do Kyungsoo calling from VIVI Entertainment regarding the scheduled teleconference.”

“From where?” the voice cracked. Chanyeol, he had said his name is Chanyeol. Suddenly the image of a clumsy, be-speckled kid flashed in his mind. An awkward thing that would blow away in the wind. 

Kyungsoo started to repeat himself when Chanyeol interrupted. “Do Kyungsoo calling from VIVVI Entertainment. Why didn’t you say so? What can I help you with?”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, happy that video calls weren’t the de facto mode of communication. “We would like to move the teleconference to an in-person meeting, preferably today if CEO Kim has the flexibility.” There was a long stretch of silence, long enough for Kyungsoo to think the call had been disconnected. “Hello? Are you there?”

“Ah, yes. Sorry, checking the schedule. I think we can make a ten o’clock meeting, assuming we can find a place near the headquarters. We won’t have time to go much further due to previous schedules.”

“Very well. Send us the address.” Kyungsoo understood if the press got wind of a meeting at Wolf Entertainment headquarters, rumors would start about a merger - something that was most definitely not going to happen. It would be best if they met outside of their official location.

“I’ll text it to you. Is this number your cell phone?” Chanyeol asked.

“Yes, this number is mine.”

“Great. Thanks, Kyungsoo. I’ll talk to you later.” Chanyeol hung up with a click, leaving Kyungsoo to cradle his phone for a split second before slipping it back into his pocket. It was strange, he thought. He had heard his name spoken in many ways over the years, but something about the way Park Chanyeol said it made him feel….

“Ridiculous,” Kyungsoo mumbled, padding off to tell Sehun he had arranged what he hoped would not be a disastrous meeting. 

  
  


The address Park Chanyeol texted to Kyungsoo (accompanied by a non-business-friendly smiley face) led them to a nondescript business park on the edges of the same district that housed Wolf Entertainment Headquarters.

“Shabby,” Sehun said under his breath as they alighted the car. 

“No trouble,” Kyungsoo warned, stepping forward to hold the door for his employer. “Your father will send us both to a permanent death if this goes wrong.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sehun waved his hand dismissively. “Play nice with the doggie. I get it.”

“He doesn’t know who you are yet, don’t forget it,” Kyungsoo hissed. 

Sehun stopped walking, causing Kyungsoo to almost trip as he stopped short. “I’ve been alive for three hundred years, Kyungsoo. Give me some credit.”

“I’ll give you credit after the meeting is over,” Kyungsoo muttered, trailing after his boss.

They took the elevator to the fourteenth floor, stepping out to find a block of office suites, each as boring as the last. Wolf Entertainment must rent the floor, Kyungsoo realized as he took note of the discreet signage directing them towards a conference room. 

The overhead light was yellow, the artificial kind that always made Kyungsoo want to squint. He imagined if he were still alive, it would probably give him a headache. The air was stale, the carpet and walls ten years out of date in terms of color and style. The space was probably only used during their busier times when their downtown offices filled up with contract workers. The decor indicated as much, from what Kyungsoo had learned of Wolf Entertainment, their aesthetic was far from outdated and mundane. He vaguely recalled they won a design award in the last year. 

The double doors at the end of the hall were suddenly pushed open, causing Kyungsoo to take a step back out of instinct.

A tall man stepped out, striding towards them with the widest grin on his face. How could someone even have so many teeth? 

_ A lycan. _

“Director Oh? Hello, welcome. I hope you didn’t have much trouble getting here.” The man was taller than Sehun by at least a few inches. Long legs. Black Hair. Attractive. He bowed in deference, stopping a few feet in front of Sehun.

“No trouble,” Sehun answered, assuming his business voice. 

Kyungsoo managed a bow in return. 

“My name is Park Chanyeol. I’m CEO Kim’s assistant.”

Kyungsoo’s head shot up at the name. This...this was Park Chanyeol? His mental image of a bespectacled intern was suddenly shattered. This wasn’t an intern this was...the way the fabric of his suit was hugging his arms...his shoulders. Kyungsoo swallowed, his face feeling suddenly ridiculously hot. 

“Right this way, sir. CEO Kim is waiting.” Chanyeol stepped aside and gestured for them to enter the doors. 

Sehun strode by without a second glance. Kyungsoo stared at the man for a second too long, causing the lycan to raise his eyebrow in question. 

“Right this way, um…uh….” 

“Do Kyungsoo,” he answered. He stared ahead and took a step forward. 

“So, you’re Kyungsoo! I had thought you would be-”

“Taller?” Kyungsoo asked, glaring at the lycan. He had heard it hundreds of times before. 

“No, no! Um, older.” Chanyeol offered a friendly smile. “You have a- uh, a deep voice.”

“Hmm.” Kyungsoo brushed past the tall lycan, leaving him to jog to catch up. 

Kyungsoo entered the conference room only a few seconds after Sehun, but by that time, Sehun was already seated, indicating any greeting he had given to CEO Kim had been brief at best. 

Kyungsoo tried to make up for it with a deep bow towards the man seated at the head of the table. He tried to be discreet and not stare too intensely at the lycan, but at the same time, it was difficult not to take a moment just to look. This was the man that Oh Sehun was supposed to marry, after all. He would have a profound impact on not only Sehun’s life but Kyungsoo’s life as well. 

Kyungsoo couldn’t be sure if it was the extra second, he took to size Kim Junmyeon up or if it would have happened regardless. He turned away from Junmyeon just in time for Chanyeol to trip over the threshold of the door, his body stumbling forward a step, his long arms held out to catch himself. Kyungsoo saw him out of the corner of his eye but couldn’t move in time, stopping himself from using the speed that would give away his true nature. 

Instead, he braced himself, eyes wide as the tall lycan stumbled and fell towards him. 

  
  


“I’m sorry. I’m…sorry. Really sorry. Are you okay? Please, I didn’t mean to. I’m so, so sorry.” Park Chanyeol had said the exact words at least three dozen times in the last three minutes. Kyungsoo was bordering on tearing the lycan’s throat open with his bare hands just to make the noise stop. 

Kyungsoo found himself perched on the edge of a desk in an empty office space, watching as the tall and clumsy lycan riffled through a first aid kit. He looked down at his hand and the small cut that was now running across his knuckles. It would be gone within the hour; Kyungsoo didn’t need a bandage – he couldn’t tell Chanyeol that, however. He couldn’t be sure the man knew _ what _ he was, and if Chanyeol was in the dark about Kyungsoo’s vampiric nature, he would rather keep it that way. At least for now. 

“Stop apologizing,” Kyungsoo finally interjected. “It’s fine.”

Chanyeol turned, a roll of bandages in his hand. He honestly looked like he was close to tears, or was that just wishful thinking? Kyungsoo blinked up at him, finding Chanyeol hard to read. 

“Really, it’s okay,” Kyungsoo tried to reassure him, feeling inexplicably bad that Chanyeol looked so upset about what had happened. “It’s just a scratch.”

“I need an alcohol pad,” Chanyeol said, ignoring the reassuring words as he returned to rummaging in the first aid kit. 

Kyungsoo sighed. He glanced down at his hand, noticing a small drop of blood on his finger. Out of force of habit, he brought his finger to his mouth, darting his tongue out to lick it away. 

The moment his taste buds met the blood, he stilled, brow furrowing. It tasted… sweet. Strong.  _ Not his. _

“Found one.” Chanyeol held up the single wrapped disinfecting pad. “Please hold your hand out so I can bandage it.”

Kyungsoo did as he was told, tensing when the Chanyeol’s warm fingers touched his knuckles. He could see a cut that ran along Chanyeol’s hand as well…the source of the blood, Kyungsoo realized.

“You’re a vampire, aren’t you?” Chanyeol said quietly as he went to work bandaging the cut.

_ So he knew.  _

“You’re a lycan,” Kyungsoo answered in a monotone voice, looking up at Chanyeol’s face. Chanyeol was bent over, looking intently at Kyungsoo’s hand. From that distance, Kyungsoo had a good look at his face, at his big eyes and thick lower lip. He had a nice mouth. 

“Yes,” Chanyeol said. 

Park Chanyeol, Kyungsoo thought, was objectively handsome. Tall, with a well-proportioned face. Somewhere in the back of his mind Kyungsoo had the thought that he would be ethereal as a vampire. 

_ No, this is ridiculous. Why am I even thinking like this? _ Kyungsoo cleared his throat and made a move to stand. 

“We should get back to the meeting,” Kyungsoo said, pulling his hand away. 

Chanyeol blinked at him. “Yeah. Okay.”

**⁂**

Kim Junmyeon’s first impression of Director Oh Sehun could be encapsulated in one word:  _ arrogant. _

The Director barely managed a bow in greeting before taking a seat at the head of the table. Then disaster struck. Junmyeon flinched when Chanyeol tripped into the man who had accompanied Director Oh, sending the smaller man hurtling into the large oak conference table. There was some blood, and a few swear words. Junmyeon rushed over to make sure both men were alright, mentally noting that Director Oh stayed seated, apparently utterly unconcerned with his employee’s safety and health. It was a horrible first impression to have. 

Thankfully, the VIVI Entertainment employee seemed to have only a minor cut. Chanyeol had ushered the small, dark-haired man out of the conference room with a thousand apologies, offering to lead him to the first aid kit near the small break room. Once the door was closed, that left Junmyeon standing alone in the room to face the man who dared to royally fuck up his mood– while he was on the precipice of his heat, no less.

Junmyeon gritted his teeth and walked back to his leather chair, taking a seat at the head of the table. The man across from him sat expressionlessly, almost appearing bored or disinterested. It was annoying. Very annoying.

Junmyeon guessed Director Oh couldn’t be more than twenty-five years old. But then again, he very well might be a vampire so his age couldn’t be established. 

Potentially younger than Junmyeon but definitely taller than him– and he was handsome, which grated on Junmyeon. When staring down a rival, it helped Junmyeon to know that he had a long list of things he was better at– it wasn’t often that Junmyeon lost in the looks department, but Oh Sehun might be an exception. He had thick brows, a small mouth, and a sharp jaw. His eyes were a strange shade of brown, almost amber. If Junmyeon saw him on the streets, he wouldn’t think twice about suggesting he audition for his agency. He’d be an overnight sensation; the camera would love him. 

“Director Oh,” Junmyeon started, clasping his hands together and resting them on the table. “It is my understanding that–”

“Can I call you Junmyeon?” Oh Sehun blurted out. His gaze was intense, unwavering. Something about it made Junmyeon feel like he was sitting under a police interrogation light. 

Junmyeon snorted. “I’m most certainly older than you, sir, and as we just met-”

“Junmyeon, I think we both could save a lot of time if we ignore the formalities and get to the point. What do you say?”

Junmyeon huffed out a breath. This... this man seemed to be full of bad manners. How could someone so young and so tactless be charged to lead VIVI’s Korean branch? “Director Oh, I am not sure how you did business in China but in this country–”

“You believe VIVI tipped off the tabloids to one of your artist’s personal lives. You want to know why.” Sehun leaned forward. His eyes, the way he looked at him, stirred something odd in Junmyeon’s gut. Junmyeon bristled, looking away. “You want me to tell you what we want, and then you’re going to tell me how you won’t give me what I want. Then you’re going to go back to your office and pat yourself on your back for winning this round. Did I miss anything?”

“You’re a vampire,” Junmyeon countered using ammo he didn’t think he would have to use because it was mostly irrelevant. He agreed with Baekhyun that the motive for the picture leak was probably purely business-centric and nothing to do with lycan and vampire affairs. Throwing out that he knew what Oh Sehun was – what  _ he could be _ (Junmyeon hoped he was right) – seemed like the right strategy at that moment. If Sehun wanted to have a pissing match, Junmyeon would piss further. 

_ Or not. _

“Yes. And you’re a lycan. An omega, I believe,” Sehun responded without missing a beat. 

“Are you trying to break the truce?” Junmyeon asked. Director Oh would be truly stupid if this was his chosen method to break the longstanding truce between their kinds. The Truce had been in place for almost a full century. The time before was bloody and not a place either side wanted to return to.

“No. In fact, I am probably someone who is going to help the truce in a very  _ unexpected _ way,” Sehun drawled. “Junmyeon, has anyone ever told you that you have pretty eyes?”

Junmyeon gaped at him. Was he – was he trying to flirt with him? Junmyeon swallowed thickly, his finger going to his collar. The simmering pre-heat feeling was back, muted in intensity compared to the previous day but still present. When he looked at Sehun, he could swear the vampire was smirking. Junmyeon was horrified when he felt the telltale wetness on his backside, he was releasing slick in response to Director Oh’s intense gaze. He had to put an end to this. 

“Director Oh, if I receive word that VIVI is working with paparazzi to harm my artists, you will be faced with a lawsuit. I will not stand to see your company use dirty business tactics to–”

“Are you seeing anyone right now?” Sehun asked, voice strangely quiet. Junmyeon blinked at him, confused. It was like the carefully crafted exterior wall had crumbled, Sehun’s tone and mannerisms suddenly seemed void of confidence. The change in his demeanor was so fast that it was disarming. 

It was too confusing, Junmyeon didn’t like it.

“My personal life is none of your business,” Junmyeon responded, his tone biting. How dare this... this– “I see that meeting with you has been a waste of my time. It appears that our lawyers would be better suited to discuss any future dealings between our companies.” Junmyeon stood. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment to get to.”

Junmyeon stalked towards the door, not wanting to look back. It was like he could feel the tension heavy in the air between them, suddenly the room seemed unbearably warm, the air thick. 

“Goodbye, Junmyeon,” Director Oh said as Junmyeon’s hand gripped the door handle. 

Junmyeon stopped a moment, gripping the handle, not moving. Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Don’t -Junmyeon glanced to see Sehun watching him with the same intense gaze he had squirmed under. “Good day, Director Oh.”

He threw the door open and stalked into the hallway, barely avoiding running into Chanyeol and the man who had accompanied Sehun. 

“We’re leaving,” Junmyeon said, hand going to Chanyeol’s arm, urging him to turn around. 

“We... okay,” Chanyeol said, dutifully following him. 

  
  
  
  


Junmyeon’s afternoon had been cleared of appointments, but not because he would be doing something fun, or even catching up on the mounds of work that seemed to pile up on the daily. Instead, Junmyeon was on the way to his parents’ house, ordered to visit by his mother under the pretense of lunch. He assumed it would be about Wolf Entertainment, it usually was. His father had stepped back from running it, but he still liked to understand what was going on – and offer his advice. 

The mood during the ride to Junmyeon’s parent's house was a little better than the one that lingered in the conference room. The car was basked in dismal silence, Junmyeon in the back seat while his part-time driver took the wheel. Junmyeon kept his eyes trained on the window, watching the scenery pass by without paying much attention to what he saw. Instead, he retreated into memories of his last meeting of the day. 

Director Oh had been… he was… Junmyeon clenched his fist in frustration. Unprofessional, arrogant… and a bloodsucker to top it off. Junmyeon tried not to be prejudiced, but vampires didn’t endear themselves to lycans in his experience. Oh Sehun seemed to be the prime example. 

_ Are you seeing anyone? _

What even was that question? To resort to flirting as if Junmyeon would lay down and roll over like some dog,  _ er _ – the nerve. 

_ Maybe I’m more on edge because of the pre-heat _ , he thought. It didn’t help his mood that it felt like a fever was sizzling beneath the surface, his only defense throwing back pills several times a day. He should really make an appointment to see his doctor, his symptoms shouldn’t be as intense as they’d been. And the slick he had released–– he was mortified to remember it.

“You can let me out in front,” Junmyeon instructed the driver as the car neared his parents’ house. His parents lived in an older neighborhood of the city, in a place that most people wouldn’t assume belonged to the former principal shareholder of one of the country’s most extensive entertainment agencies. 

The building was made of white concrete, smudges of dirt were a perpetual mar on the outer walls. Posters advertising street performances and local theaters were glued to the sides of the building, creating a layer of new and old commercial art that gave the place a rough and ragged urban appearance. The front doors easily could have led to one of the gentrified warehouses in Seongsu instead of a private residence. 

Five stories rose from the street level, each level consisting of two to three separate apartments. The only exception was the top two floors, which were taken up by Junmyeon’s parents and his elder brother Junseok. The other three floors housed family – aunts and uncles, cousins. Junmyeon’s mother used to tell him it was the wolf part of them, the lycan part, that made it essential they live in proximity. They were, after all, a pack. 

Junmyeon couldn’t even count how many times his parents had insisted he live with them, moving out of his flat and back in with the big happy family.  _ We need to be close. _

“ _ I _ need to be close to work,” he would reiterate. It had been a small miracle to be allowed to move out on his own two years back, he wasn’t about to forsake it for fear he would never have the chance again. His family tended to worry about him, his omega designation a constant source of what-ifs.

The central building elevator was rickety, with a brown metal gate as the door. Junmyeon had never gotten used to it; still, to this day, Junmyeon often felt like the door would fail, or the elevator cord would snap. He gripped the age-darkened bronze railing as the elevator slid up to the fourth floor, the gate creaking when he opened it. 

The hallway in front of his parents’ door was small and neat. Clean. His mother was a neat freak, a trait that Junmyeon had not inherited. 

Junmyeon reached to punch in the door code, but the door was thrown open before he could. His mother, Lee Gyuri, smiled brightly at her youngest son, her neatly manicured pink fingernails standing out against the dark metal of the door. 

“Junmyeon,” she said, holding the door open for him to enter. 

“Hi, Mom.” Junmyeon stepped inside and toed off his shoes, knowing that there would be slippers sitting directly inside the door, lined up a neat row. 

“I hope traffic wasn’t too bad,” his mother said, offering to take her son’s suit jacket as he stepped inside. 

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” 

“Good.” 

Junmyeon’s mother was more than once mistaken for his sister. She was small, with a trim waist and a pert nose. Her eyes held a youthfulness about them that people told Junmyeon he inherited. She was a full-blooded omega. Her grandfather had once controlled the Lycan in a southern city, giving her an impeccable lineage that Junmyeon was taught to be proud of. 

“Your father is in the study,” she said. “He would like to speak with you.”

“Is something wrong?” Junmyeon asked, quirking his eyebrow up in question.

His mother looped her arm around his. “We have something we need to discuss, Junmyeon.”

“Mom, this is making me nervous.” Junmyeon felt a little like throwing up. “Is everyone okay? It’s not Junseok, right?”

“Heavens, no, your brother is fine. He’s at a conference right now. He’ll be back tomorrow.” She squeezed his arm in what seemed to be a comforting gesture. 

Junmyeon worried his bottom lip, his heart beginning to pound erratically in his chest. He could sense it, something was wrong. His mother’s mood was off, behind her bright smile, he could sense there was something she was hiding. He was afraid, a thousand things running through his mind at once. The health of his family, the health of their extended pack. Someone being in trouble. Money, business. All of it collapsed in his mind into one terrible, unbearable situation that he just knew his father would throw at him. 

When Junmyeon entered his father’s study, the room with floor to ceiling bookcases, stacks of books on the desk and on the floor, he didn’t feel his usual sense of fondness for the place and its cluttered coziness. His father, Kim Ji Hoon, offered his own false smiles as he greeted his youngest son.

“Junmyeon, sit.” His father gestured at one of the white, frumpy looking chairs that sat opposite his desk. Junmyeon sank into the one closest to the door, his mother taking the other. 

“Please, just tell me what’s going on. I don’t like this.” He looked between his parents. “Something’s wrong. I can tell.”

“I need to ask you a favor,” Ji Hoon said slowly. Suddenly Junmyeon thought his father looked old, like age had finally crept up with him. The silver at his temples was more pronounced, the wrinkles around his eyes deeper. He sighed heavily, shoulders sagging before he spoke as if to show Junmyeon just how much he regretted what he was about to say. “Before you were born, your mother and I incurred a debt. Recently the person came to collect that debt.”

“How much money?” Junmyeon blurted out, glancing at his mother. 

“Not money,” his mother said gently. 

“Then what? The house? Land? Do they want the real estate in Jeju?” Junmyeon tried to mentally tally the assets his family held.

“No, nothing like that.” Ji Hoon shook his head. “But, I need to tell you how that debt was incurred before I tell you what they want in payment.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Junmyeon saw his mother touch her face. Junmyeon turned to see his mother tracing the pink scar running along her cheekbone. It was something Junmyeon never focused on, as much a part of his mother as her laugh or the way she would sing to him when he couldn’t fall asleep as a child. In retrospect, it had a lot more importance in his own life than he could have guessed. 

“It is time that you learned how I received this scar,” she said softly. “And the price we have to pay for it.”

Junmyeon knew that eventually, his parents would start urging him to settle down, hinting that he should find a nice alpha, and get married. He fully expected that day to come sometime in the future. Junmyeon had even considered how he would handle it, shoving off their concerns until he found an alpha he could envision spending the rest of his life with. That someone would fit a neat list of criteria that Junmyeon had, which really centered on not treating him like a delicate omega, because fuck that noise. He expected all of that someday, knew it would be his future just like he knew he would be happy spending the rest of his life building up Wolf Entertainment. 

But that future shattered into nothingness, his path in life suddenly full of uncertainties. 

“I cannot force you to marry him, Junmyeon,” his father said. “I can only ask this of you. I know it isn’t fair, you weren’t even born when this debt was incurred.”

“He isn’t even a lycan?” Junmyeon asked, still not believing it.

“No.” Ji Hoon shook his head, a sad expression on his face. He looked tired, Junmyeon decided. Defeated. “A vampire.”

“What would a vampire want with an omega lycan?” Junmyeon asked. His heart felt like it was beating a million beats a minute, his palms had begun to sweat. Never in his life had he wanted to run away from his parents, but he was feeling that way now– like a cornered animal. 

“What does anyone want from an omega, son?” His father said, his voice cracking, tears glistening in the corner of his eyes. “They believe they have found a way for an omega to carry a vampiric child.” His father looked like he would be sick after he said the words, the very idea revolting to him.

Junmyeon had managed not to cry, managed not to say a word as his mother explained an incident that was unbearably painful for her and her husband to recount. But seeing his father tear up ripped a hole in his heart. He managed to hold it together long enough to ask, “Who is it? What is their name?”

“Oh Sehun,” Kim Ji Hoon answered. “He's the progeny of Prince Yoo Yeonseok.”

Junmyeon blinked, tears falling down his cheeks. Frustration. Anger. Regret. Fear. He was afraid, terribly afraid. It had to be the same man he had met with earlier in the day. He recalled the name Yeonseok being thrown out by Baekhyun when Junmyeon asked him to do research on the VIVI executives. 

“Oh Sehun,” Junmyeon repeated, feeling bile rise in his throat. 

_ No. No. No. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feel free to come say hello / ask me questions / yell at me / partake in my rambling nonsense on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/London9Calling) or [Curious Cat.](https://curiouscat.me/LuKFC)


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double Update today (Ch 2 and 3) ~ Enjoy ^^*

Kyungsoo read the email three times before he got up from his desk and plodded into Oh Sehun’s too-neat office. 

“Do you care to enlighten me why I have a twenty-page background report for Kim Junmyeon in my inbox?” Kyungsoo gave Sehun a pointed look. 

Sehun swiveled in his chair, looking completely unbothered. He was clutching a pouch of blood, an orange twisty straw jabbed into a corner.

“Can you forward it to me?” Sehun said, not explaining a thing. “I was going to ask you to read it and give me the cliff-note version, but I can see that isn’t something you’re interested in.”

“You still haven’t told me how your meeting with him went.” Kyungsoo crossed his arms against his chest, the brown wool of his suit coat wrinkling. He had tried ridiculously hard not to overthink the meeting from the day before – mostly because he had his own brand of discomfort he didn’t want to revisit. The tiniest drop of blood, with the most fantastic taste…But he still wanted to know what Sehun had said to the lycan. 

“It went okay.”

“That tells me exactly nothing.” Kyungsoo sighed. 

Sehun didn’t answer; instead, he slurped up the last drops of blood, the liquid hissing through the straw as the pouch went flat. 

Sehun’s phone, perched precariously on the corner of his desk, vibrated. The vampire picked it up, ignoring Kyungsoo as he scrolled through his phone. 

“There’s been word from the distributor that they will have a slight shipping delay on Lu Han’s album.” Kyungsoo figured since his boss wasn’t willing to talk about the metaphorical lycan in the room, then they might as well discuss business at hand. “Anything over five hundred thousand copies may be delayed up to a week. There is a transport issue near their supplier in Hong Kong.”

Sehun stood up, tossing the blood pouch towards the small black garbage can next to his desk. It hit the edge and tumbled to the floor. “Call them back and tell them I want a percentage discounted from our contract. Have you heard back from marketing about the CF deal?”

“They red-lined the contract; it’s with the legal team as we speak.”

“Good.” Sehun bent down and retrieved the empty blood pouch, dropping it successfully in the garbage can.

“Now come on, we have somewhere to go.” Sehun strode past Kyungsoo, gesturing lazily for him to follow. 

“Where?” Kyungsoo asked suspiciously. He couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Sehun was up to something. 

“Yixing’s in town,” Sehun answered, naming his elder brother. 

“What, why?” Kyungsoo asked, trailing after Sehun. 

Kyungsoo, in the world of vampires, was hardly an aristocrat. His bloodline was far enough removed from the original founders - called The Seven - that his name and creator left very few people impressed. It was why his relationship with Sehun was never a friendship among equals. He was a bodyguard—an underling, nowhere near Oh Sehun’s social standing. 

Princes of the Blood was a fancy way of saying a vampire’s creator could trace their lineage back to one of The Seven. Bloodlines were taken literally, with each successive vampiric generation considered a dilution of the purity of their blood. 

For Kyungsoo, the vampire hierarchy was further proof the world wasn’t fair–– even in death. Perhaps it was even worse, as hierarchies spanned centuries, social castes set in blood. In death, the world they existed in was framed by the laws set forth by the Princes of the Blood; in life it was the human royals and politicians that caged them into society. 

In the past, Princes of the Blood had disappeared, gone from the hierarchy with only guarded whispers concerning their fates. Secretive acts of retribution, Kyungsoo guessed –– whispers that The Seven were still calling the shots from somewhere, including handing out death sentences. Sehun and his siblings had never fallen victim to the same sort of punishment. They were all still alive, though scattered. Kyungsoo had little doubt it was Yeonseok who had ensured his progeny survived all attempts at purging them for their transgressions. 

Oh Sehun was the prime example of a Prince of the Blood that had maintained his position through several questionable acts. A popular opinion was that Prince Sehun was too reckless, too careless for their kind. Even with Kyungsoo at his side night and day, he found time to get into trouble. He shirked his royal duties for centuries, fleeing his homeland for another territory. Kyungsoo knew there were rumors, suspicions. 

Prince Zhang Yixing had his own history of follies, though his were usually honest mistakes and forgiven by even the most hardened and rules-hungry vampire. Kyungsoo had always had a soft spot for Sehun’s older brother, finding Yixing to be an unusual calm among the storm of their world. He was born in China, sent to Joseon as part of a diplomatic mission, he fell into the world of Yoo Yeonseok, and the rest was quite literally history. Discovering Prince Yixing was in town was a stroke of luck in Kyungsoo’s opinion. He often had a positive influence on his younger brother. 

_ Most of the time.  _

The first words out of his mouth after greeting Sehun could be a potential argument against his positive influence.

“Dad said you’re marrying a dog.” Yixing clutched his mug of blood, a smear of the red liquid settled on his upper lip. 

Kyungsoo cringed. 

“Guess so,” Sehun said, walking to the concrete counter, and jumping up to sit on the edge. 

Yixing was renting an apartment in Insu-dong, a three-story building that sat midway on the slope of a steep road, the tree-clad mountains rising in the distance. It was a journey to get there from VIVI’s rented office space, but somehow it seemed characteristically Yixing. Uncomplicated, lacking the flashy and showy nature of his family members – remote but warm, cozy. As soon as they had been buzzed in, Yixing ushered them into the kitchen. “Breakfast,” he muttered, gulping down more blood. 

“I’m glad it’s you who’s going to save our kind,” Yixing said slowly. “Though with a dog…”

Sehun stared at the floor. For the briefest moment, Kyungsoo noticed a flicker of emotion pass over his features– a hint of seriousness that quickly morphed to a smirk. “I suppose I can think of worse things.”

“Hey, Kyungsoo, how have you been?” Yixing turned his attention to his younger brother’s companion. “I haven’t seen you in….”

“Thirty years, give or take,” Sehun finished for him. “Guess my impending nuptials are bringing the entire family together.”

“Do you still like cooking?” Yixing asked, walking over to the breakfast bar. He took a seat on one of the stools, patting the one next to him in a gesture for Kyungsoo to sit. 

“Thank you, your highness, but I’m good standing. And yes. I do.” Kyungsoo had found a passion for it. A common misconception was that Vampires never ate food, they survived entirely on blood. While blood was their chief sustenance, many of them still consumed food apart from blood. Kyungsoo enjoyed cooking, there was something about it that calmed him. He didn’t do a lot of it, however. Not anymore. It seemed like he never could find the time. 

Yixing launched into an animated story of the restaurants he had visited in France, which, as Kyungsoo was quick to learn, was where he had spent the better part of the last three decades. “La présentation est Magnifique, as they say,” he explained, his eyes lighting up. “If only you could have seen it!”

At some point during Yixing’s story, Sehun pulled out his phone. Kyungsoo watched him out of the corner of his eye, noting the way his thumb flew over the screen. He was messaging someone. 

“How much has father told you about the situation?” Sehun asked once Yixing was done regaling Kyungsoo with stories of French cuisine. 

“Enough,” Yixing answered cryptically. “Tell me, what do you  _ actually _ think about the lycan deal?”

Kyungsoo watched the brothers out of curiosity, hoping Sehun might let his guard down for a moment in front of Yixing. 

The answer never came. Sehun’s phone buzzed. “I need to get this,” he said, hopping down from the counter. “Excuse me.” Sehun strode from the room, putting the phone to his ear as he stepped towards the privacy of the back bedroom. 

Kyungsoo watched him go, frowning.

“Has my brother been behaving?” Yixing asked, patting the stool once again. This time Kyungsoo didn’t refuse. He hopped onto the seat next to Yixing. 

“As much as he always does.”

“Hmm. So, he hasn’t.” Yixing sighed. “He’s a good guy, you know that. Just…”

“Bored easily,” Kyungsoo offered.

Yixing chuckled. “Yes.”

A moment of silence passed between them before Yixing spoke again. “Does he ever mention Lee Gaeul?”

Kyungsoo stared at the pitted concrete counter, ears readjusting to hearing  _ that name _ . After they left Joseon centuries ago, it had never been uttered between the two of them. A name that was once spoken with affection, with devotion, now sounded foreign and strange. 

“No,” Kyungsoo said. “Never.”

“When my father told me that it was Sehun who was going to marry, I thought it might be for the best. Maybe it will let him move on from her.”

_ He will never move on _ , Kyungsoo wanted to say, but he held his tongue. 

“Kyungsoo, you’ll tell me if something goes wrong with this, right?” he asked. “I know you love him and want to protect him like a brother. You know him best.”

_ Could anything about this go right? _ Kyungsoo had a long list of reservations about the entire scheme but could hardly voice them when it was Yoo Yeonseok’s grand plan. 

“I need to ask you something,” Kyungsoo said, the thought dancing around his mind for the better part of the day. He didn’t dare ask Sehun and wasn’t planning on speaking out loud –– but now that Yixing was in front of him, he felt like it was his one and only opportunity. 

“Sure.” Yixing looked at him expectantly, waiting. 

“Lycan blood tastes awful, right?”

“Yes. I have never had it myself, but everyone I know who has said it is even more disgusting than stale O positive.”

That is precisely what Kyungsoo had always heard as well, which is why he was so confused. 

“What if it doesn’t taste disgusting? Would that be a medical thing?” Kyungsoo swallowed. The mental image of the tall lycan flashed in his mind.  _ Sweet. _ The sweetest blood he had ever tasted in three hundred years. 

Yixing pursed his lips. “Maybe. Sehun hasn’t tasted the lycan’s blood yet, has he?” 

“No! No, nothing like that. I was just, um, curious.” Kyungsoo feigned a reassuring smile. “Now that we will be around lycans more, I am growing curious.”

“Understandable.” Yixing readily accepted his answer. 

Any further conversation ended as Sehun stalked back into the kitchen, clutching his phone. “Sorry to cut this short, but we need to go.”

Kyungsoo hopped from the stool. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Sehun answered. Kyungsoo knew immediately he was lying, but Yixing seemed to take the explanation at face value. The brothers shared a half hug, with Yixing making Sehun promise to keep in touch before the wedding. 

Once they were outside, Kyungsoo let the questions fly. “What happened? Who were you speaking to?”

Sehun tilted his head to the side. “What lycan blood did you taste, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo looked away.  _ Shit. Shit. Shit. _

“Let’s keep our secrets, shall we?” Sehun drawled. 

**⁂**

“It’s simple, really,” Junmyeon said as much to answer the question as to reassure himself. “Your new album has presales in the six figures. You’re a shoo-in for end of the year awards. One last drama before you have to enlist, and you’ll be golden.”

“Hyung, is everything okay?” Jongin asked. He leaned in, eying Junmyeon up. The idol was dressed in a soft blue shirt and jeans, his hair unstyled. He reminded Junmyeon of the kid he used to know, a glimpse of his pre-heartthrob days. “Something’s definitely wrong.”

“Hm? No, nothing. Everything is great,” Junmyeon answered. He leaned back in his chair. His suit was immaculate, tie neatly pressed. Hair styled away from his face. He had taken extra care that morning to look like he had his shit together because the truth was the exact opposite. He was a horrible mess. 

“My album pre-sales haven’t opened yet, I don’t have to enlist yet, and I’ve never acted in my life,” Jongin rattled off, waving his hand in front of Junmyeon’s face. “I don’t think you’re alright at all.”

Junmyeon blinked. “I was testing you,” he said, faking a laugh to try to cover it up. Jongin didn’t look convinced. “Yes, well now that you passed the test, you’re good to go.” Junmyeon gestured towards his office door. He should have known keeping the appointment with Jongin was foolish. If anyone could see through his mood, it would be him (and Chanyeol, but thankfully he had managed to mostly avoid that train wreck). 

Jongin narrowed his eyes at his old friend. “What happened? You were crying. It looks like you were crying.”

“Pfft. No, that is ridiculous.” Junmyeon shook his head, probably a bit too forcefully. He wondered if it looked as comical and fake as it felt. “I’m fine. Everything is fine.”

As if the universe was testing him, Junmyeon’s desk phone began to buzz. He pushed the button, uttering a tense, “Yes?”

“Sir, your brother is here to see you,” Chanyeol’s voice crackled from the other end. 

_ Shit. Shit. Shit.  _ Junmyeon had dreaded facing his brother after the bomb of his impending nuptials was dropped. Junmyeon’s mother had asked if Junmyeon would rather tell Junseok himself or if they should – he had taken the path of cowardice and allowed his parents to relay the news. But that still didn’t mean he wouldn’t have to face his Hyung and hear his opinion. 

“ _ Junseok _ ?” Jongin mouthed. He had grown up around both brothers, and during their preteen days, even admitted to a tiny crush on the older alpha (unreciprocated, of course). 

Junmyeon swallowed thickly, ignoring Jongin. It wouldn’t be right if anyone overheard their conversation. Junmyeon was still trying to figure out how to tell Chanyeol about the marriage, he hadn’t even begun to consider how or  _ if _ he should tell any of the others at the company. “I’ll meet him in the lobby.”

_ Yes, going offsite would be better.  _

“Tell Hyung, I said hello,” Jongin said as he stood. “And Hyung, get some sleep. You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine,” Junmyeon reassured the idol. 

Jongin didn’t look convinced. Junmyeon couldn’t blame him. 

They went to a little coffee shop, a retro-looking place tucked into a long alley. The inside was dark, the booths and tables dimly lit when compared to the L shaped black lacquer counter, antiquated light fixtures dangling overhead. The floorboards creaked when Junmyeon stepped on them, the air was thick with the smell of coffee beans. It was quiet and unobtrusive and hidden. Junmyeon almost felt comfortable at the shop, so far removed from his office, his neighborhood, and his family.

Except his family was there, his tall older brother standing at the counter, hands in his pockets.

Kim Junseok, ordered the coffee, carrying the tray back to the small booth Junmyeon had chosen. It was on the second floor of the shop, as far away from everyone as Junmyeon could get. They were alone, seated at a tiny booth with cracked vinyl seats and rings from the bottom of coffee mugs imprinted on the tabletop.

Junmyeon dreaded the conversation, in part because he had a feeling his brother would have an extraordinarily strong reaction to it. There was a four-year age difference between the two of them that had naturally settled into a relationship of the protective older brother and protected younger sibling. When Junmyeon presented as an omega, the protective part of their siblinghood got worse. Junseok had been wary of Junmyeon’s career, of his living situation, of almost everything he tried to do. In some ways, he was even worse than their father about it.

The silver lining had been Junseok’s chosen career path. He was a doctor, a general practitioner, which meant he was often at work. His residency left him little time to hover over Junmyeon, overanalyzing his every move. By the time he took up his job at a nearby hospital, Junmyeon had secured his father’s confidence in his abilities at Wolf Entertainment. Junmyeon doubted that it would have been possible if Junseok had the time to watch over him all those years. Junseok’s intentions were good, but they often grated on Junmyeon’s nerves.

Junseok slid into the seat across from Junmyeon, the worn vinyl creaking under him. “Americano. Black.”

“Thank you.” Junmyeon reached for the mug, cupping it in his hands.

“I think we both know what I want to talk to you about,” Junseok started. 

Junmyeon found a measure of safety staring into the steaming black mug. He didn’t want to see his brother’s disapproval. 

“Father says you’ve agreed to it. I am sure you can guess what I think of the arrangement.”

Junmyeon nodded. 

“You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I do. It’s a debt our family owes.” The words felt heavy on his tongue. 

Junseok sighed. “I know you’ve hated it your entire life, the way I’ve worried about you, and I admit that a lot of times I was wrong. You aren’t like every other omega, Junmyeon. Far from it. You don’t need to be coddled. But this time I  _ need _ to worry - no, I can’t do anything  _ but  _ worry. Their kind is so different than ours, so foreign.”

“I’ll be careful.” Why was he trying to reassure him? Junmyeon sipped the coffee, letting the bitterness settle on his tongue. 

“And a child…” Junseok murmured. 

_ A child. _ In Junmyeon’s mind, this faceless, nameless child was what weighed on him the most. His child. He hadn’t thought of being a father soon. It had always been some far-off, hazy event that he didn’t have to dwell on. 

_ But I am not going to be a father–– not really. I am but a vessel, a surrogate. _

“I asked Father to put me in touch with the Vampire, to discuss the medical side of this,” Junseok explained. “There is a medication they want you to begin taking to aid with your chances of conceiving. I want to examine it before you ingest any of it. I don’t trust them.”

“Thank you,” Junmyeon mumbled, feeling lost.

“I’ve done my own research on their wedding ceremonies. It seems like vampiric tradition is why it can’t be some sort of artificial insemination, one and done deal – sorry to be so crude. They put a lot of importance on the blood bond of marriage.”

“Blood bond?” Junmyeon blinked at his brother. He could admit his mind had been a disaster since his meeting with his parents. The things he probably should have considered in a logical and orderly fashion had never even entered his mind. In contrast, specific topics (having a child, whom he had the child with) had dominated his every waking thought since then. 

He knew nothing about the marriage ceremony. He knew nothing about what it entailed. He didn’t want to think about it. 

“Yes. It creates some sort of link, at least that is what they believe.”

“Like a claiming?” Junmyeon asked, referring to the lycan equivalent. The claiming mark between a mated pair often connected them in a way that science had yet to fully explain. Lycan couples often felt a deep bond with each other, even going as far as to say their love and affection was at a level that simply could not be reached by non-mates.

“Perhaps.” Junseok reached out, placing his hand over his younger brother’s. “Junmyeon, if you want to get out of this, I can help you. I’ll stand up for you to Mom and Dad. I can even help you get away for a while if you want—"

“No. I promised,” Junmyeon interrupted. “I can’t go back on my word.”

Junseok frowned. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he remained silent, his eyes holding darkness that Junmyeon felt.

_ Send me Oh Sehun’s contact information. _

Junmyeon knew that Chanyeol would call him as soon as he got the text, asking a million questions about why he needed the information and what, if anything, Junmyeon needed his assistant to do. 

_ Nothing yet, but I want to have it in case _ , he shot back, half-hoping it would stop Chanyeol from asking questions. 

A couple of minutes later, Chanyeol sent him a phone number, no questions asked. 

I’ll tell Chanyeol tonight, Junmyeon thought. He would have to. Aside from his family, Chanyeol was the person who knew him best, the person whom he felt deserved to know. He had a feeling that Chanyeol wouldn’t take it well, which is why he had to be careful how he made the announcement. 

But that was for later. For now – “Oh Sehun,” he whispered, pressing the call button. 

Jongin had been one hundred percent correct– Junmyeon _ was _ tired, which was the excuse he clung to when it dawned on him that he had picked an utterly ridiculous location to meet the man he was engaged to. 

Neutral ground. Somewhere private. Quiet. Where they could talk without people noticing them. 

“Well, well,” Oh Sehun drawled. “I didn’t think you’d be so bold.” He stood at the door of Room 1115, a suite on the 29 th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel. 

Junmyeon held the door open, his heart pounding. He was sweating, nervous, and was doing his best to appear calm and unbothered. “We’re not here for that,” he spat, stepping aside to let Sehun in. 

“A pity,” Sehun mumbled, walking into the room. 

Junmyeon hadn’t considered what it would look like, what it sounded like, to suggest they meet at a hotel. He had simply wanted somewhere they could talk, away from prying eyes. 

Sehun padded inside, hands in his pockets. The vampire wasn’t dressed in business attire, clad instead in an orange t-shirt and tight jeans. Junmyeon was still in his suit. When he caught a glimpse of the two of them in the long mirror near the window, he realized he looked like the older of the two. How comical. While Junmyeon didn’t know Oh Sehun’s exact age, he was sure the vampire was at least twice as old as him. 

“Tell me, CEO Kim, what you would like to discuss,” Sehun said, walking to the long grey sofa. He took a seat, crossing his legs and leaning back.

Junmyeon chose the grey chair opposite the sofa, as far away as he could get from Sehun without touching the bed. 

“I’m going to be blunt, Director Oh. There is no use being polite in a matter like this.” Junmyeon had practiced his words in front of the mirror when he had first arrived in the room, not unlike how he would practice his speeches before Wolf Entertainment Summits –– hoping to perfect his delivery for the most significant impact. “I’ve done a lot of thinking, and I would like to make a deal with you.”

“Oh?” Sehun raised his eyebrow in question. “I’m listening.”

Junmyeon had tried to shut off the chaotic chatter of his brain, the doom, and gloom, regret, and sadness. After meeting with Junseok, he had sat at the little coffee shop, a pen, and paper in front of him. He would approach it like he approached many things –– methodically. Precise. With an upper hand. He was Kim Junmyeon, Omega CEO of Wolf Entertainment, and he wasn’t about to bow down to Vampires more than he needed to.

“I believe the deal in question is that we marry and produce offspring. I would like to propose we draw up legal documentation to reflect as much, including an article addressing what is to occur after said offspring is brought into this world.”

Sehun snorted. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m prepared to repay my family's debt, but more than that is impossible. The exact requirements are a child. After the child is born, I would like legal assurance that I am in no way legally or financially responsible for the child and will be free to return to my current life without any lingering implications.” Quick. To the point.  _ Logical. _

“You want to give up the child?” Sehun said slowly like he couldn’t understand what Junmyeon was trying to tell him.

“This isn’t a child I am having because I want it, Director Oh. That is assuming it is even possible for a lycan and a vampire to have a child, a topic I want to be addressed contractually as well. If we are unable to reproduce, I would like your word that I am legally free after a specified set of time.”

Sehun pursed his lips, looking like he was deep in thought. “This marriage wasn’t my idea,” he said.

“I never thought it was. But it was your idea to try to ruin one of my artist’s careers by leaking their personal information, wasn’t it? What a bad first impression you gave me, Director Oh.” Junmyeon tutted. “I can forget about our first meeting, assuming you are agreeable to the contract I am proposing.”

“Fine. We can have a contract.” Sehun agreed quickly, a little too quickly. Junmyeon had expected a fight of some sort, an argument. The fast agreement caught him off guard. 

“Thank you,” Junmyeon said quietly, not sure what his next move needed to be.

“Just so you are aware, I don’t want to marry you either, CEO Kim.” Sehun stood up, his arrogant demeanor returning. He took a step forward. 

Junmyeon balked at the vampire, standing only a few feet from him, his personal space suddenly seeming crowded. 

Panic. He felt panicked. “Don’t mess with any of our artists, or I will break the deal.” Junmyeon spat, needing to say  _ something,  _ to feel like he was back in control of the conversation. “And I am  _ not _ going to quit my job or my work, even during the pregnancy.”

“Fine.” Sehun took another step forward like he was testing to see how much the omega would allow. 

Junmyeon stood up, stumbling back from the chair. The room seemed to shrink, Oh Sehun was close.  _ Too close _ . 

“Can I call you Junmyeon?” Sehun asked, another step closer. Oh Sehun’s eyes seemed to pull him in, swallow him whole. Junmyeon wondered if it was a trait of all vampires, or if this was something Sehun possessed alone. It was hard for him to look away, to focus…

Junmyeon backed up until his legs hit the bed, causing him to fall back. He bounced on the soft white mattress, scrambling to sit up. 

“No,” Junmyeon said weakly. The sound of his voice surprised him, leaving him to repeat himself in a more forceful voice. “No.”

“At least you’re pretty.” Sehun had stopped moving towards him, but he wasn’t moving away either.

Junmyeon swallowed.  _ You’re not bad yourself  _ flashed in his mind. Oh Sehun wasn’t bad, far from it. In fact, he would be just Kim Junmyeon’s type under different circumstances. Tall, with lean muscle. 

“You have a vulgar way of communicating.” Junmyeon let out the breath he had been holding.

Sehun smirked, looking very much like he wanted to laugh. “Perhaps I do. Should we put that in the contract too?”

“Maybe,” Junmyeon pushed himself up, squaring his shoulders as he stood. He tried to calm himself down, needing to regain control. “My lawyers will be in touch.”

Sehun made a noise, somewhere between a laugh and a sigh, his chest heaving. “You know, you remind me of someone.”

Junmyeon wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of asking who.

“Sorry to cut our meeting short, but I need to get to another appointment.” Junmyeon’s confidence returned, settling in as he gestured towards the door. “I’ll see you out.”

“No need.” Sehun held a hand up to stop him. “I’ll see myself out. Goodbye, Junmyeon.” Sehun shot him one last lingering look before he was disappearing down the hallway, towards the door. 

Junmyeon didn’t realize the vampire had used his first name until he was already gone, leaving him to stamp his foot on the floor, not unlike a petulant child. Worse than that, however, was the realization that he was leaking, the slightest amount of slick having escaped his backside. He had been turned on and that disgusted him more than anything. 

  
  


The light outside the convenience store was covered in mosquitoes. The red plastic table and chairs had seen better days, and the smell of garlic permeated the entire space. In other words, it was the perfect place for Junmyeon to crack open a beer and explain himself. 

Park Chanyeol knew something was going on, especially when Junmyeon didn’t return to the office that afternoon. When Junmyeon called him out to meet that evening, as the sun sank down behind the tall buildings in Yeouido, he knew that  _ something  _ must be wrong. Kim Junmyeon didn’t drink to excess; he didn’t park himself in front of seven-elevens and slam a beer. And he most definitely didn’t do it with Park Chanyeol. 

“Spit it out, or I’m leaving.” Chanyeol crossed his arms against his chest and glared at his boss. 

“It’s complicated, but I’m currently engaged to Oh Sehun.” Junmyeon took a swig from his beer.

Chanyeol grabbed his beer, swallowing it in one shot, then quickly cracking open a second. “Why?”

Junmyeon took another swig before answering. “Like I said, it’s complicated.”

“He’s a vampire,” Chanyeol reminded him.

“I know.”

Chanyeol finished his second beer, quickly opening his third. Other than the heavy drinking, he was taking it a lot better than Junmyeon would have thought. “It doesn’t make sense. I thought you’d never get married.”

“Really?” Junmyeon pursed his lips.

“Yeah. I mean, since we were kids, you’ve set out to prove you’re better and stronger than any alpha. You kind of have a prickly personality too not to mention you’re messy and stand offish and –”

“Okay, I get it,” Junmyeon interrupted. 

They passed a moment in silence, Junmyeon sipping on his beer and Chanyeol taking big gulps before slamming the can down on the plastic table. 

Like a switch was turned, Chanyeol stifled a sob with the back of his hands. That was the reaction that Junmyeon had anticipated. 

“Are you crying? Why are you crying?” Junmyeon blurted out, leaning towards his friend. “Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol let out a loud hiccup. “Hyung, you’re getting older. I can’t believe it. You’re going to get married and then what. What about us? What about  _ me _ ?”

“We’ll still work together, Chanyeol-ah,” Junmyeon reached forward, his hand going to the nape of Chanyeol’s neck. “Come here, come here.”

An hour later, Junmyeon was piggybacking the lanky alpha back to his apartment, Chanyeol singing out of key between hiccups. 

“Hyung, I love you. Not like  _ tha _ _t_ , but” Hiccup, “Like a real brother.”

“I know,” Junmyeon said quietly, feeling like Chanyeol was loud enough to wake the entire neighborhood. 

“Hyung, vampires are no good. No good.”

“I know.” It was all he could say. He knew. He knew the situation was terrible, but he had given his word. And Sehun had given his –– soon they would have it in writing. 

When Junmyeon arrived in front of his building, Chanyeol was passed out. He awkwardly punched in the code to the outside door, fingers slipping on the cold metal keys. He heard a noise from somewhere behind him, an odd sound that made him stop what he was doing and try to turn. But Chanyeol was heavy, and the movement was hard. The most he saw as he attempted to pivot around was a tall man disappearing down a side street—a man, who from the back, looked very much like Oh Sehun. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has commented and left kudos. I am amazed at how well received this fic is so far. Gahhh, you are all so sweet ILY.


	5. Chapter 4

** _Trigger warning: Attempted sexual assault_ **

_ Unsettled _ . It was the best word to describe what Do Kyungsoo had been feeling since their return to Korea. While Sehun seemed to handle the situation with the same feigned ignorance and devil-may-care attitude as he approached everything, Kyungsoo was left to worry. To mull over the possibilities. To dredge up anxiety in heaps. 

Physically he was feeling off as well, though he tried to push that particular detail to the back of his mind. After fainting during the first week they were in Korea, he had experienced moments of lightheadedness. Dizziness that would overtake him, making him stop what he was doing until it passed. 

After three hundred years of life, it was the first time he had felt such things, and the knowledge of it scared him. He couldn’t dwell on it, however. Oh Sehun needed to be his priority. It wasn’t like vampires could randomly get sick, either. At least not in the capacity Kyungsoo was experiencing. Nerves, he decided. It must be nerves. 

A certain lycan only complicated matters. 

“Mr. Do! Hi.” Park Chanyeol offered an exaggerated wave and a big, toothy smile the moment he saw Kyungsoo. His actions were in direct contradiction to the dark circles under his eyes. The lycan looked like he hadn’t slept in five years. 

“Mr. Park,” Kyungsoo answered quietly. He fought hard not to turn away at the scent that greeted him. The lycan’s smell was strong. _ Sweet. _ It bothered him to no end that he could smell him so strongly. 

They were, of all places, meeting in front of a traditional medicine establishment. A wooden sign that had seen better days hung outside; the letters carved into the lopsided piece of wood. Kyungsoo would have doubted he was at the right place if it wasn’t for Yeonseok’s assistant’s precise instructions about the location. Kyungsoo had been tasked with meeting someone from the lycan’s side there to make sure they were given the correct medication for Kim Junmyeon. 

“I hope you weren’t waiting long,” Kyungsoo feigned niceties. 

“No.” Chanyeol reached out and pulled open the door - a glass and metal piece that was smudged with fingerprints. “After you.”

Kyungsoo stopped into the dimly lit store interior. The aroma of sandalwood and citrus assaulted his nose, heavy in the air. A bell chimed when the door shut, Chanyeol moving to stand behind Kyungsoo. Near the entrance were plastic buckets filled with herbs and medicine stuffs – bone white, deep reds, dried, and crumbly green plants that Kyungsoo didn’t recognize.

A large counter, plastered with small posters for medicines and supplements that Kyungsoo had never heard of, spanned the far wall. A pair of golden scales sat in the middle, next to an old cash register. Behind the counter were floor to ceiling drawers, an expansive apothecary chest, each section carefully labeled. The chest was made of dark, worn wood that looked to be almost as old as Kyungsoo.

A dark purple curtain covered up a doorway on the left side of the room. It was pushed back immediately after the bell sounded, a man passing through. He was human, Kyungsoo could sense it immediately, there was nothing vampiric or lycan about him. He was on the smaller side, with round features and closely cropped black hair. One look at his face and Kyungsoo made a guess the man couldn’t be over thirty – he was probably closer to twenty-five. He wore a pristine white lab coat, a tag on his breast reading Doctor Kim.

“Hello,” the man greeted, the tone of his voice lilting. “Welcome. I’m Doctor Kim Minseok.” He stopped in front of the pair, his hands gripping the edge of the counter. 

Kyungsoo thought he looked...  _ Friendly _ . Disarming even. Approachable. With large eyes, chubby cheeks, and messy hair. How he had ended up finding Yeonseok and becoming involved in his scheme was a mystery. He wasn’t at all like Kyungsoo had expected he would be like. 

“I’m Park Chanyeol, and this is–”

“Do Kyungsoo. Yes, I’ve been expecting you both.” Minseok smiled brightly, his cheeks puffing out. He walked around the counter, passing where they stood. With a flick, he turned the open sign to  _ Closed _ , pulling down the blinds on the large front window. “Privacy,” he said with a glance over his shoulder. 

Kyungsoo could tell Chanyeol was giving him a look, but he didn’t dare make eye contact. He wanted as little to do with him as possible. It was a great misfortune they had to work together in some capacity, at least in terms of making sure their employers’ business was in order. 

“I have the medication prepared in the back. It needs to remain temperature-controlled, and the dosage is particular,” Minseok explained. “If you’ll excuse me, I shall return with it in a moment.”

The dark curtain was pushed roughly aside before falling in place as Minseok returned to the back room. 

Kyungsoo took a few steps back, putting more room between himself and Chanyeol. Anything to get away from that scent. In hundreds of years, Kyungsoo had met his fair share of lycans, but never once could he recall being so offended by their smell. 

Chanyeol seemed to have the exact opposite thought as he took a step closer. “Hey, I want you to know that if anything happens to Junmyeon, I’m not going to stand by. He has a lot of people who love and care for him.”

“Hmm.” Kyungsoo took another step away. 

“This medicine or whatever, has it ever been tested before?” Chanyeol asked. 

“I have no idea. I only recently learned of it.” Kyungsoo smoothed his hand over the front of his suit, ridding himself of imaginary wrinkles. “And I can assure you that my employer is not interested in harming your employer, Mr. Park.”

“Chanyeol.”

“What?” Kyungsoo blinked up at him. 

“Call me Chanyeol. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other after the– after the– well, you know.”

“Wedding.” It sounded distasteful on Kyungsoo’s tongue. He still didn’t like it, and he was far from understanding how Yeonseok had landed on Sehun to be the one when literally any one of his other progeny was far more suited for such an alliance. 

“Yes,” Chanyeol sighed, his soldiers visibly sagging. “We should try to get along the best we can, for our employers’ sake, I mean. It would be good if we could be friends.”

“Friends?” Kyungsoo had to stop himself from snorting. “Mr. Park, a Vampire, and a lycan don’t become friends.”

“So, it’s because I’m lycan?”

Before he could answer, the pain hit him. Kyungsoo squinted, a bolt of pain shooting from his temple down the side of his face. He put his hand to his head, flinching as his body suddenly rebelled. 

“What’s wrong?” Chanyeol was there in a moment, bending down, so he was on eye level with Kyungsoo. “Are you okay?”

The scent. The sweet smell. It mixed with Kyungsoo’s pain, invading his senses. He wanted to push Park Chanyeol away, but when he tried to move, the pain shot through him again. 

“Kyungsoo? Kyungsoo?”

It is said that a vampire will never feel hunger as intense as the moment they are turned, the first seconds of when they awake in their new form. That is when desire is the worst–– when the entire body cries out for that which it is now missing– blood _ —the essence of life _ . The hunger of a newly turned vampire has turned many to madness, destroying their second life before it even begins. To survive that hunger is to prove that a vampiric life is possible, that the body is strong enough to thrive. 

Kyungsoo survived that hunger centuries before, a few miles from where he now stood. He had awakened with the gnawing feeling, the burning desire to feed, to drink, to heal his body in the only small way he possibly could given his transformation. 

Hunger like that would never come again. That was the consensus, the reality that Kyungsoo accepted. And perhaps it wasn’t as bad, but it was close.  _ Too close _ . A hunger, a desire, a basic instinct to feed, to drink. To inhale the sweet smell that clung to the tall alpha next to him. 

“N-no,” Kyungsoo managed to get out, his voice cracking. 

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol repeated. He gripped the vampire’s arm, holding tight, the fabric of Kyungsoo’s suit bunching up in his grip. 

Kyungsoo didn’t register the return of the doctor. When the man spoke, his voice sounded far away, his words distorted. 

“Oh my.” Out of the corner of his eye, Kyungsoo could see Minseok approach. “He’s starving.”

_ Starving?  _ Kyungsoo tried to remember. But he had eaten that morning… 

“You’re hungry?” Chanyeol gripped his arm tighter. 

“He’s in blood lust. That only happens if they haven’t fed in a long time. Rarely seen nowadays with the easy availability of blood,” Minseok explained. 

Kyungsoo had already forgotten the doctor; his attention had returned to the small expense of Chanyeol’s neck that he could see. Barbarism. It was barbaric the way he was watching the patch of skin, blue veins barely hidden beneath the skin. Blood. Sweetness.

“Do you have blood here?” Chanyeol asked the doctor.

“No. Afraid not. I can call one of his kind, but it looks like he is in bad shape. He needs to feed immediately, or he could be in trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?” Chanyeol asked, his eyes wide in alarm.

“Well, it is possible he could expire. Vampires need blood to exist. A blood lust only happens in dire circumstances,” Doctor Kim answered.

“Here.”

It was horrific, a bad dream. Chanyeol let him go and, in the same breath, was pushing his tie away, unbuttoning his top button. “Kyungsoo, here.”

Kyungsoo hadn’t fed on a human for decades - he had never intentionally fed on a lycan before. Their blood was disgusting, that was the consensus, and he never felt a need to prove it right. But now, now….

Kyungsoo lurched forward without thought, his teeth piercing the lycan’s skin easily. The hot rush of blood invaded Kyungsoo’s mouth, spilling over his tongue and teeth. Chanyeol made a loud gasp, then fell silent as the vampire began to drink greedily from him. 

“Please, don’t make a mess on the floor,” Minseok scolded, his voice still sounding distant and detached. 

_ Heat. _ Sweet, a delicacy. Kyungsoo felt the blood slide down this throat, warmth spreading, dancing along his skin as he drank deeply. The hum, the fog of his mind began to clear, lifting the hazy veil as his hunger began to be sated. 

_ Delicious. _ Had Kyungsoo ever tasted something as delicious from any blood bank? No. Chanyeol’s blood had an undercurrent to it, a taste that he couldn’t begin to describe. The only thing he knew is that he wanted more.  _ More. More. _

Chanyeol let out a soft moan, the noise vibrating along the column of his neck. It was enough to snap Kyungsoo out of his trance. He detached his mouth from Chanyeol’s neck, blood smearing against his lips, dripping down to stain Chanyeol’s jacket. 

Kyungsoo rocked back on his heels, horrified at what he had just done. Chanyeol’s hand flew to his neck, to the spot where Kyungsoo had drunk from him. His chest heaved up and down, his eyes were wide as he stared back at Kyungsoo. 

“I-” Kyungsoo scurried to get away, to distance himself from the lycan. “I-”

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol said, voice gravelly. 

“I have to go.” Kyungsoo got to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he stumbled for the door. When he reached the sidewalk, he doubled over, sucking in a breath.  _ What had he done? God, what had he done? _

  
  
  


**⁂**

  
  


Junmyeon looked down at the green capsules, his lower lip unconsciously forming a pout. It had been a week since he began taking the medication, swallowing two pills six times a day with a large glass of water. The instructions were explicit, missing a dose could be bad for his health. 

Junseok had been over to examine him twice since he began taking the pills – and of course, he had done his own analysis on the medication before Junmyeon even dared to ingest it. 

Junmyeon’s vitals were normal. Physically he felt fine, there was no noticeable difference after he started taking the medication. According to the doctor who had been in contact with Junseok, the medicine needed to build up in his system before it fully took effect. He was hazy on the details on just how much it needed to build up to work. 

Junmyeon raised the capsules to his mouth, grabbing for his bottle of water. He took a swig, sputtering as the cold liquid hit his throat. 

“Hyung, are you sure you need to be here?” Jongin asked. He made eye contact through the dressing room mirror. The alpha idol had been reading on his phone, passing the time while the makeup artists and hairstylists prepared him for his performance.

Junmyeon sucked in a breath and finished swallowing, embarrassed. “Yes, I do. I wouldn’t miss my top artist’s comeback for anything.”

Jongin blinked back at him. “You’re going to make me cry, don’t say that.”

Other people might think it was a joke, but Junmyeon knew Jongin would cry at the endearment. He might look like the fierce alpha on stage, but his personality was incredibly soft and gentle. He cried more than once because Junmyeon complimented him with the utmost sincerity. 

He had also cried when he found out Junmyeon was getting married. Unlike Chanyeol, who had drunkenly wept once, Jongin had cried no less than three times about Junmyeon’s impending nuptials. He also tended to ask a lot of questions about the deal, obviously wary about seeing his CEO wed to a vampire.

Junmyeon should be used to the overprotective alphas in his life, and in a way, he was. But this, these reactions were new. This situation was unique and entirely unexpected. Junmyeon wasn’t marrying an alpha; he was marrying a man who, by virtue of his existence, was more of an enemy to their kind than a friend. 

He was getting married with the singular goal of having a child –– a strange announcement to make to his friends. 

Jongin was suspicious, as he should be. Hell, Junmyeon was suspicious–– he couldn’t stop the nagging feeling that he had seen Sehun over the last few days. Glimpses. Like he was being watched… but why, Junmyeon couldn’t begin to understand. The vampire had acted like he had as little interest in Junmyeon as Junmyeon had in him; besides, they had reached an understanding of sorts. 

Business. It was all like a business deal. 

“The only thing they had was this.” Chanyeol strolled into the dressing room, a bottle of sparkling water in his hand. He held it out, over Jongin’s shoulder. The idol took it, nodding in thanks. 

“How come you’re wearing a turtleneck again?” Junmyeon asked, eyeing his assistant with suspicion. Chanyeol never wore turtlenecks– ever, but for the last week, he had seemed to find a newfound love of them. Today it was a maroon one. “It makes you look weird.”

“I told you, it’s cold,” Chanyeol mumbled, looking away. 

“It’s summer.” Chanyeol had really been acting odd lately. 

“Can’t a person be cold in summer?” Chanyeol shot back. Before Junmyeon could further the topic, he added, “Lu Han’s debut stage is right after Jongin’s.”

“I saw.” Junmyeon set his jaw in a straight line. Lu Han belonged to Sehun’s company. Just the thought of the tall vampire turned his mood sour. 

“Do you think his CEO is here too?” Jongin asked innocently, catching Junmyeon’s eyes in the mirror. 

“No.” Junmyeon doubted that Sehun cared that much to make a personal appearance backstage at a music show. He couldn’t see the man doing much more than was necessary.

“How long until your stage?” Chanyeol asked, plopping down on the dressing room sofa.

“Two hours,” Jongin answered.

“Nap time.” Chanyeol leaned back, stretching his long legs on the sofa, his dress shoe clad feet sticking over the armrest. 

“That’s for me,” Jongin whined.

“You can’t lay down once your hair is done. Plus, don’t you need to warm up?”

“I already did!”

Junmyeon sighed. He shuffled towards the door, letting his assistant and top star argue like children as he slipped out into the hall. The hallways backstage at the network building were always bustling, full of stagehands, managers, makeup and costume people, floor producers, and idols, all trying to navigate the corridors to get to where they needed to be per the hard and fast schedule. 

Junmyeon plastered his back against the wall as a stream of women from one of the new girl groups walked past, bowing their heads to him even though he highly doubted they knew who he was. Best to show deference in case. 

He nodded back, passing by them, sidestepping the glitter that had fallen off one of their costumes. A production assistant was the next obstacle, rushing down the hall with a clipboard in his hand, earphones plastered to his head. He looked half-wild and exhausted. 

Humans. All humans. Kim Jongin was one of the only lycan stars that operated in the Korean entertainment world, at least to Junmyeon’s knowledge. The other lycan artists were represented by Wolf Entertainment, of course, working alongside the humans that were also represented by the agency. 

There were benefits to working alongside humans. Pheromones, for example, would always escape them. If Jongin had trouble controlling his, he would never have to worry his human co-stars would notice. Humans were as blind to Pheromones as lycans were to the blood needs of Vampires. 

Junmyeon turned the corner. He was getting hungry, a side effect of the pills it seemed. He knew there was a cafeteria a few floors above them, on the other side of the building. He had used it once, years ago, when Jongin had just debuted. He usually would send Chanyeol to fetch him something, but he wanted some alone time. 

_ Time to think.  _ Time to read the email that was sitting, flagged in his inbox. 

It was the third red-line version of the marriage contract, explicitly stating the terms Kim Junmyeon wanted. Junmyeon had managed to keep it from his parents and brother, not ready to explain to his family what he planned to do if he became pregnant. He wasn’t sure they would understand his choice, and he didn’t want to face pressure to remain with Sehun or to be involved in the child’s life. 

Junmyeon needed to look at the latest revisions. Once the contract was finalized, they could set a date to sign the marriage paperwork and go through with the ceremony. It was Sehun’s side who was insisting on it - Junmyeon found it frivolous at best. They didn’t need a ritual for something that was little more than a legal agreement for Junmyeon to bear a child. Apparently, however, Vampires placed a great deal of importance on the wedding itself.

_ Blood link _ . Junmyeon recalled Junseok saying it during their conversation at the coffee shop. He had been too afraid to find out the details of what it entailed. 

The stairwell was deserted, a stark contrast to the busy hallways. Junmyeon climbed the stairs three floors up, pressing the heavy metal door open with a groan. The corridors were deserted there too. The music show was held in the older network building, not the newer headquarters that had risen not far from Wolf Entertainment. Chunks of the place had been vacated as offices moved. 

Junmyeon began the walk towards the eastern side of the building. He couldn’t exactly remember what else used to be on the floor. The variety division, maybe? Writer’s offices? He couldn’t remember.

Junmyeon reached another, wider hallway. As he traversed the corridor, he caught the scent of something in the air. 

“Must be getting closer,” he mused to himself. 

At this point, he could eat just about anything– assuming it wasn’t something Jongin tried to cobble together and horribly burned, as he was known to do. 

The pills really did make him hungry. Terribly hungry. Junseok had given him the medical terminology of why they had that effect on him, the lingo that Junmyeon’s brain never absorbed. All he knew was that he was starving.

The wave of stench hit him. Junmyeon wrinkled his nose and stopped walking. It was musky, the smell that hung in the air. Not at all, like food. Not at all like–

When the reality of that smell sunk in, Junmyeon turned on his heels, alarmed he hadn’t realized that what he was smelling was not food at all. It was pheromones –– Dominant alpha pheromones from a lycan he didn’t recognize. His instinct was to escape, to run as fast as he could in the other direction.

“Hello, Junmyeon.” A man stepped out from one of the offices. The room he left was dark like he had been hiding… waiting…

Junmyeon took a step back, his heart beginning to race. The scent was most definitely clinging to the man before him, a man he didn’t recognize—a lycan. 

“Who are you?’ Junmyeon demanded.

The man smiled, pearly white teeth. He was tall, like most alphas. His hair was dark, eyes heavily lidded. “Don’t you remember me?” He was trying to scent him, the pheromones coming out strong, engulfing Junmyeon’s body. 

He felt sick, his stomach-turning–– a fuzziness, a haziness, colored his world. He didn’t recognize him, had never seen the man in his life. 

Junmyeon lurched down the hall, but his limbs felt clumsy and uncoordinated. He staggered, terrified. The alpha had no good intentions, not if he was scenting him, if he was following him–– if he was chasing an unmated omega. 

The alpha lunged, his hand contacting Junmyeon’s arm. He yanked Junmyeon towards him. “Don’t run away,  _ mate _ .”

Chanyeol and Jongin were three floors below him, on the other side of the building. The man was bigger than him, taller, and his pheromones were affecting Junmyeon’s body in the worst way. Panic and fear gripped him. 

A nightmare flashed in front of Junmyeon, the realization that the alpha could take him then and there, putting a claiming mark on his neck. Junmyeon would be powerless to stop him, helpless to do anything but be dominated in the most violent of ways. 

Junmyeon let out a muffled cry, a strangled noise of fear and suffering. 

The blur of motion was so quick, so unexpected, Junmyeon couldn’t be sure what was happening until it was over. Suddenly his arm was let go, his body falling onto the floor with a thud. The alpha was gone, removed. Junmyeon gasped. 

The alpha was pressed against the wall, his legs dangling in the air as a hand held him tightly by the throat. He was choking and gasping for air, struggling to free himself from his attacker. His attacker stood tall, squeezing at the alpha’s throat without a word. 

“Sehun,” Junmyeon rasped. 

“Junmyeon,” Sehun drawled, slamming the alpha into the wall so hard a crack formed on the plaster. “How are you?”

“How did you know?” Junmyeon asked, shocked, and confused. “Why are you here?”

Sehun ignored him in favor of slamming the man back against the wall. “If you ever touch him again, I will rip your throat open so fast you’ll have no idea what happened,” Sehun growled, easing his grip.

The alpha sunk down, his hands going to his throat to cover the red marks Sehun had so effortlessly left.

“A vampire,” he spat, choking, and gasping for air. 

Sehun delivered a kick to the alpha’s side, the man doubling up in pain. 

“Stop it!” Junmyeon shouted, staggering to get to his feet. “Stop.”

Junmyeon caught Sehun’s eyes, seeing a flash of red coloring his irises. He looked genuinely angry, enraged even. It was confusing, all of it was so confusing. Junmyeon wanted to ask more, to say more, but his body wasn’t cooperating. He took one step forward, towards Sehun, before he felt the world fall away, his vision going black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew. What a chapter O.O /runs/. 
> 
> /Runs back to say thank you all for the comments and kudos bc they equal a happy writer :)))))))))))))))))/
> 
> Feel free to come say hello / ask me questions / yell at me / partake in my rambling nonsense on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/London9Calling) or [Curious Cat.](https://curiouscat.me/LuKFC)


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update today (chapters 5 and 6), please make sure to read both chapters :)))

“Yes, Director Oh has approved the plan.” Kyungsoo flashed a smile at the marketing manager, hoping it looked less forced than it was.

The man hummed, flipping through the presentation for what felt like the fifteenth time. “I know Director Oh is highly esteemed at the Beijing branch,” the marketing manager said. Kyungsoo was expecting the next word to be _ but _ .

Kyungsoo couldn't fathom why half of the middle management liked to disagree with any direction Sehun gave them. A satellite branch of a much larger, foreign corporation should not be feeling wholly as autonomous as they were acting. Not to mention the general non-compliance, but most middle management at VIVI’s Seoul branch weren’t even vampires. They were contracted human employees, but they acted like tenured executives. 

The buzz of Kyungsoo’s cell tore him away from hearing the reasons the marketing manager was sure to rattle off. He glanced at the screen, frowning when he saw the name.  _ DOG BOY. _

Park Chanyeol. He had been calling every day since…  _ since _ . Kyungsoo swallowed. He would have blocked his number if he could, but it wasn’t like he could completely distance himself from the lycan. Their employers were about to become legally entangled, and they would have to cooperate with each other, at least on some level. 

He sighed. Maybe he should just get it over with and tell Chanyeol to stop calling him if it wasn’t related to Sehun or Kim Junmyeon’s arrangement. 

“Please, if you’ll excuse me.” He bowed to the manager and took his leave, stepping out of the marketing department’s conference room and into the hall.

“Yes?”

“Kyungsoo?”

“This is.” Kyungsoo gripped the phone, tempted to hang up already. 

“Do you know where Junmyeon is? Is he with Director Oh?” Chanyeol’s tone sounded panicked, the words rattled off fast and furious. 

“Um. No, not that I am aware of. Director Oh isn’t with me right now,” Kyungsoo answered.

“Can you please contact him and find out if he is with Junmyeon? Please. I can’t get ahold of him right now, and it’s important. It isn’t like him to be out of touch like this.”

Kyungsoo waited to answer, considering what he should do. If he was in Chanyeol’s position and it was Sehun that was missing, he would be just as panicked. “I’ll contact Sehun.”

“Thank you. Thank you, Kyungsoo. Please let me know right away.”

The call ended, leaving Kyungsoo to stare at his phone screen for a brief second before dialing Sehun’s cell phone. When the call went straight to voicemail, a sense of dread settled in. Kyungsoo quickened his steps, he needed to go to the office to make sure Sehun hadn’t left his phone behind. His steps became a jog as he neared the elevator.

“Get in,” Kyungsoo spoke through the half rolled down window, his hand gripping the steering wheel tightly. 

Park Chanyeol didn’t need to be told twice. He opened the car door and slid into the passenger’s seat. He was wearing a grey suit, a maroon turtleneck in place under the jacket. His hair was messy like he had dragged his hand through it. He looked as scared as Kyungsoo felt. 

“Thank you for picking me up,” Chanyeol said as he reached for the seatbelt. 

Kyungsoo put his foot on the gas pedal and pressed down, the car lurching into traffic. Beside him, Chanyeol gasped, hurrying to buckle the seatbelt. 

“I don’t really have a choice, do I,” Kyungsoo muttered.

He couldn't contact Sehun, and after calls to everyone he could think to contact without causing alarm, he was left with nothing to go on except the tracking information from Sehun’s car– which placed him at the network building, where Kim Junmyeon was last seen. That was over an hour ago, the tracking information hasn’t updated since then, and Sehun’s car was long gone. 

Kyungsoo could sense the seriousness of the situation, but he also knew that he had to be careful to not let too many people know that he couldn’t reach Sehun. There was a danger in a Prince of the Blood going missing, out of sight of his bodyguard. Yeonseok couldn’t know, or it would be disastrous. 

That led him to Chanyeol, who seemed to be fighting with the same issue, not wanting to spread the alarm. “Junmyeon will kill me if I tell his father.”

Kyungsoo had somehow, probably against his better judgment, agreed to pick up the lycan and go on a search for their employer’s together. Now, seated beside Chanyeol, Kyungsoo realized how bad of an idea it truly was. He could swear he could smell it… the sweetness that seemed to cling to him. 

“Could he be at his apartment?” Kyungsoo asked, changing the subject. 

“No, I called the cleaning lady to check.” Chanyeol dismissed the idea. “What about Director Sehun’s place?”

“That’s where we’re headed,” Kyungsoo said, shifting gears.

“It isn’t like him not to answer his phone,” Chanyeol rambled. “I’m worried something happened. What about Director Oh?”

“He is usually accessible.”  _ Always accessible to me _ , he wanted to add. At least for the most part. Sehun had a rebellious streak, he always had. He wasn’t entirely transparent with his activities, which manifested in periods when Kyungsoo struggled to keep up with him. Still, for the most part, he understood Kyungsoo’s role in his life. Back in Joseon, it was a bodyguard, now it was more of a perpetual friend, but the intent was the same. It was dangerous for Kyungsoo to not know where he was. 

“I don’t want it to be weird between us,” Chanyeol said, cutting through the momentary silence. “About the...  _ You know _ . What happened. It’s fine. I told you to so you shouldn’t fee-”

“I don’t feel bad,” Kyungsoo lied, eyes on the road. He didn’t dare look over. What was the godawful sweet smell that clung to Chanyeol, and why was it so hard to ignore?

“Good. That’s good. But um, Kim Minseok, the doctor, said if you’re having blood problems like that you may be ill. Are you seeing a doctor? I don’t know a lot about vampires, but it sounds serious.”

“I’m fine,” Kyungsoo grumbled. In truth, he wasn’t sure if he was fine. In fact, he had no idea what had precipitated the blood lust or the dizzy spells he was still experiencing. He was doing his best to hide both from Sehun until he had time to figure out what to do next.

The shrill ring of his cell phone blared through the car speakers. Kyungsoo pushed the talk button the second he saw that it was Sehun.

“Where are you?” Kyungsoo demanded as soon as the call was connected. 

“My house. I need you to contact Junmyeon’s people.”

“Where is he?” Chanyeol spoke up, venom in his voice. “What have you done with him?”

“Who is that?” Sehun asked. 

“CEO Kim’s assistant.” Kyungsoo put his blinker on as they neared the exit to Sehun’s penthouse.

Sehun hummed in acknowledgment before offering an explanation, “Kim Junmyeon is in heat. He’ll need suppressants and a safe place. Please have his people hurry... he’s a mess.”

“Don‘t you dare touch him!” Chanyeol yelled. 

Sehun’s response was characteristic and really the only thing Kyungsoo would have expected from him - a loud, mocking laugh that echoed through the car speakers. 

**⁂**

  
  


A slow, crawling pain that danced along his skin, starting low in his body, and rising. That was the best way Junmyeon could explain the physical feeling of heat–– though his knowledge was minimal. He had only gone into full heat one time, back when he was in high school and forgot his suppressants amid preparation for his college entrance exams. 

The most he had to deal with was pre-heat, which was still annoying and uncomfortable, albeit in a slightly different way. When he woke up, heat coursing through his body, his skin sticky with sweat and his backside dripping, he knew he had entered the worst kind of hell. 

A few seconds was all it took for the realization to set in ––he was in heat, and his last memory had been with– “Where am I?” he rasped, sitting up in a hurry, his body reacting by sending a flash of heat down his spine. He whined and fell back into the soft mattress.

“You’ve been given suppressants; they should take effect soon.” Baekhyun. It was Baekhyun’s voice.

Junmyeon glanced over to see the beta seated in the dark navy chair he instantly recognized - he was home. In his bedroom. 

“Your brother said you should rest until they kick in. You’re safe, Junmyeon.” Baekhyun offered him a kind smile of reassurance. A beta would have no effect on him. Who called him? Was it Sehun…

His memories were fuzzy.  _ Sehun _ . The plaster cracking along the wall. An unfamiliar alpha. That must be why he was in heat. The alpha had scented him. He whined, his stomach-turning. He could smell it, the scent of the stranger still clinging to him. He hated it. Hated what it was doing to his body without his consent. 

“No,” Junmyeon cried out, his voice weak. 

“Please, Hyung. Please rest,” Baekhyun said softly. 

Junmyeon slipped back into a fitful sleep, courtesy of the sedative laced into the suppressants. 

When next he awoke, the fire was gone, in its place was absolute revulsion at his physical state - at his scent, at the sweat, at the general filthiness of his being. He struggled to sit up. His bedside lamp shone, causing him to squint as his eyes adjusted to the low lighting. 

The chair was empty. Byun Baekhyun had gone. He managed to get himself to his feet with only one extended groan of pain. He padded to the attached bathroom, needing to take a shower before he contemplated doing anything else. 

As he stood under the steaming heat of the shower, he replayed what he remembered, his confusion bubbling up. Why was Oh Sehun in the network building, and why was he there at that specific time? How long had the strange alpha been following him? And what in the hell day was it? 

He couldn't be sure how long he had been asleep. His heat had seemed intense.

“Junmyeon, are you okay?” It was his brother’s voice calling from the other side of the bathroom door. He recognized Junseok immediately, and his presence made Junmyeon feel safe. Protected. 

“Yes.”

“I’ll be in the living room. Come out to see me when you’re done.”

“What day is it, Hyung?” Junmyeon shouted his question before his brother could retreat too far away.

“Saturday.”

Three days. Junmyeon had been gone for three days. 

“I missed Jongin’s debut performance,” Junmyeon realized, a pit of disappointment and regret settling in him. 

  
  


“It seems to have been a lone wolf that attacked you. Father has already seen him out of the city and warned neighboring packs. He shouldn’t be back again,” Junseok explained. 

Junmyeon was now showered, dressed in comfortable cotton pajamas, his hair still damp. He sat cross-legged on his sofa, playing with the hem of his pajama shirt. “He was stalking me?”

“Seems so. Lone wolves have been known to try to take pack bound omegas before. It is unusual, but it happens. You’re a pure-blooded unmated omega, Junmyeon. You’re rare.”

“A walking target,” Junmyeon muttered sadly. 

“Thankfully, Oh Sehun was there to stop him. Jun, I know you are more capable of taking care of yourself, more so than any other omega I have ever met, but it is still dangerous for you. I think you should start carrying some sort of protection in case this ever happens again, god forbid. I know your marriage is coming, but Sehun won’t be able to scent you as a mate, so you could still attract unwanted attention.”

“Sehun isn’t my mate,” Junmyeon said firmly, his jaws set. “And why was he there? I don’t understand.”

“He said he sensed the alpha and was watching him in case. It seems, brother, that as much disdain as our kind has for his kind, he may be a lot better of a person than we thought. Especially if he is trying to take care of you already.” Junseok tented his fingers. “It lessens at least a little of the anxiety I have about the wedding.”

“Stop saying marriage and wedding and–” Junmyeon huffed. “It’s an agreement. Nothing more. I’m thankful for what Sehun did, but that doesn’t change what relationship we have.”

“Sorry.” Junseok shifted in his seat, crossing his long legs. He had inherited the height in the family, something Junmyeon was very envious of. “I still don’t like the idea you agreed to the marriage, Jun.”

“I know.”

“You should stay home for the next week.” When Junmyeon opened his mouth to protest, Junseok held up his hand to silence him. “This is only your second full-blown heat, Junmyeon. It is possible it could come back, and you’re surrounded by alphas at work. I know they would never intentionally do anything with you, but you aren’t in your right mind when a full heat hits you. It is safer if you work from home for the time being. Not to mention if you slip into heat and a human encounters you.”

“I have meetings and–”

“I know. But Junmyeon, it is too dangerous. Call into them. Please.” Junseok was giving him that older brother look, the kind of look that made Junmyeon want to shrivel up inside. 

“Fine.” Junmyeon gritted his teeth. He hated it. Hated being an omega. More so now than ever before.

If only he was marked, it would protect him. But to be marked would mean finding a mate, which wouldn’t be possible until the entire ordeal with Oh Sehun was over. 

  
  


Five days more,  _ at a minimum _ . Junmyeon fumed, the keys of his laptop taking the brunt of his frustration. He was surprised the O key was still hanging on.

Junseok’s voice rang in his head. “You are showing signs of your heat returning. The scenting of the lone wolf had a greater effect on you than I first thought. You’ll need to stay on the higher dose of suppressants longer and staying home would be advisable.”

Junmyeon gritted his teeth, finishing his email and hitting send. He was tense, upset. He hadn’t set foot in his office since the day he was attacked, he had been doing everything remotely. Chanyeol kept assuring him that he was holding things together at headquarters. Still, Junmyeon and his control-freak tendencies were bristling at not being there to oversee the operations in-person. 

Double doses of suppressants. The medication Junmyeon was taking due to the deal with Sehun. He was sick of being poked and prodded, swallowing pills, his body reacting in ways he didn’t like. He was tired of being locked up, tired of having his mother call him four times a day because she was worried about him.

To make matters worse, the wedding contract had been finalized, which meant Junmyeon would be required to go through with an outlandish ceremony he neither wanted nor understood. The date had yet to be set, but with the details hammered out, it wouldn’t take long, he was sure of it. Any day he could expect Oh Sehun’s side to throw out a date, one that he would struggle to modify if needed. 

The thought crept up on him slowly - a solution that once it entered his mind, seemed to linger like a bad dream. If he were marked, presumably, his heat wouldn’t flare up, and even if it did, no alpha would dare touch him. A mated Omega didn’t throw off the same pheromones as an unmated omega. It wouldn’t be as big of an issue. 

If he had a mate, at least one of his problems would be over. He could go back to work and not worry about alphas finding him. 

And what really was a mate? Sure, there were the mystical connotations, but those had long been disproven by science. A mate was more of a psychological state brought on because of a physical change. 

In the case of an omega, a mating mark to the neck. In the case of an alpha, a reciprocating bite. The lone wolf that attacked him no doubt was ready to deliver such a bite to Junmyeon, claiming him without his consent. 

Nowhere, in any of Junmyeon’s three a.m. searches, could he find that the bite had to be from another lycan. And so, the distasteful idea swirled around in his brain until after ten long days at home and several more to go, it turned into a golden, shining idea that could help him escape his isolation. 

He sent the text to Oh Sehun in the middle of the night. A straightforward demand to come to see him at his home. It was the first time they had talked since - since… Junmyeon felt heat creep up into his cheeks when he thought about it. 

He had gone into heat in front of Sehun, and for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what he had done or said. The thought mortified him but shouldn’t. He had agreed to have a child with the vampire, and they weren’t going to use artificial insemination. Soon he would need to bare himself fully for Sehun. Still, the disorientation of heat meant he could have…

Junmyeon swallowed thickly. He supposed he owed Sehun some words of gratitude for having saved him back at the network building. One of the many things that were bothering Junmyeon was that he couldn’t decipher precisely why Sehun had done it. Was he merely protecting Junmyeon like he was a possession, or was there something more…?

At a little after four in the morning, Junmyeon’s doorbell rang. When Junmyeon looked through the peephole he saw Oh Sehun, looking down the hall, a bored expression on his face. 

Junmyeon took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping aside to allow the vampire to enter.

“Good morning,” Sehun greeted, stepping inside.

Junmyeon shut the door softly and trailed after Sehun, directing him to the living room. Once they were both seated, Sehun on the sofa and Junmyeon on one of the oversized leather chairs, he threw reason and logic and any level of modesty or self-preservation out the window.

“I need you to bite me,” Junmyeon said in a matter of fact voice.

Sehun didn’t show a reaction. “Why?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard, but my heat cycle is a mess after the attack. I can’t leave my apartment, and even when I can, there is no guarantee I won’t eventually be attacked again. Without a claiming mark, other lycan’s see me as available.” He picked at the hem of his t-shirt, a nervous habit. 

“You do realize if I bite you, I will drink from you, right?” Sehun tilted his head to the side, looking at Junmyeon, not unlike someone would look at an exotic animal at the zoo. 

“Oh.” Stupid. He was stupid. How had he not considered asking a vampire to drink from him would be different than a lycan? His unstable physical condition must be getting to him, must be getting to his mind. 

“If you don’t mind that, sure. But I have a favor to ask.” 

“What?” Junmyeon suddenly felt like asking Sehun was a horrible idea. 

“Marry me tomorrow,” Sehun said calmly like he was talking about the weather, not a wedding.

“Tomorrow?!” Junmyeon looked at him, eyes wide. “I think tomorrow might be a little premature, and I don’t see the reason why we need to rush it. The legal contract was only recently finalized and–”

“Kim Junmyeon,” Sehun said, leaning forward. Junmyeon moved back. Even though Sehun was several feet from him, he suddenly felt like his personal space was being invaded, a flashback to their meeting at the hotel. “When we marry, I fully intend on biting you, it is custom. But not before then.”

“You abstain from biting until marriage?” Junmyeon furrowed his brow. “That’s… fucking weird.”

“Do you want the mark or not?” Sehun countered.

“I-” Junmyeon felt like his throat had become dry. Yes, he wanted the mark. He wanted to go back to work. He wanted to get on with is life. He wanted this reality, this agreement to be over. He wanted to stop taking the pills, stop worrying about a lone alpha picking him out of a crowd. He wanted to get the pregnancy over with, assuming it even worked. “I do,” he finished. 

Sehun stood suddenly. “Then tomorrow, after the ceremony, I will mark you.”

Tomorrow. Junmyeon would get married tomorrow. He looked into Sehun’s eyes, fear creeping up in him, snaking through his body, muscles tensing, his heart beginning to beat faster. Junmyeon felt like everything was crashing upon him, even if he had weeks to mull over what he had agreed to.

Kim Junmyeon was terrified. 


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update today (chapters 5 and 6), please make sure to read both chapters :)))
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments! Ily <3

Prince Wu Yifan could command the attention in a room in a way that very few men– vampire, human, or lycan––could. His height helped; he was tall with broad shoulders and long legs. His good looks, dark brows, and straight nose helped too. But most of all, at least in Kyungsoo’s opinion, it was his posture and overall demeanor that attracted all eyes his way. Kyungsoo could recognize it as the movements of a soldier. Someone who spent his formidable years becoming a slave to the drumbeat, his ears forever waiting for the striking of bells to signal a moment’s rest. Even centuries later, Wu Yifan moved like the hardened soldier he had once been, trying to keep the Manchus from Beijing. 

“You’re looking…” Yifan stopped in front of where Kyungsoo stood, towering over him by more inches than Kyungsoo liked. He looked Kyungsoo up and down, pursing his lips as he took his assessment. “Pale.”

“I’m fine.” Kyungsoo flashed a smile at Sehun’s older brother, knowing very well that Yifan tended to look at him with the same type of affection he usually directed at Sehun, almost parental in nature. “I’m surprised to see you on such short notice.”

Short notice was an understatement. Sure, the wedding had been in the works for weeks, but the actual date had never been set. Kyungsoo had assumed he would have weeks beforehand to make sure Sehun’s things were in order, that VIVI Entertainment was in order before his boss took a few days off. He had also assumed there would be ample notice for those who needed to attend to make their way to Seoul. 

“We were planning on flying in today,” Yifan explained.

At the mention of  _ we _ , Kyungsoo looked past Yifan. Zhu Meichuo, her long hair pulled into a braided bun, a golden hairpin pushed within, stood near the entrance. She was nodding her head, deep in conversation with Zhang Yixing. 

“I’m surprised the Princess is joining us,” Kyungsoo said. It had been decades since Meichuo had stepped foot outside of China.

“She likes weddings,” Yifan said, looking a bit sheepish. They had been married for the better part of three hundred years. If Kyungsoo thought back, he could recall snippets of memories of their wedding, so long ago.

“It is nice to see you both.”

“Where’s Sehun?” Yifan asked. 

“This way,” Kyungsoo directed. It was about time he visited Sehun himself. The last he saw of his charge, Sehun was arguing with one of Yeonseok’s servants, protesting the order of the ceremony. Kyungsoo had taken his leave, slipping away before he would be pulled into the argument. 

Thankfully, they found Sehun argument-free, sitting in the dressing room, playing on his phone, and looking bored. He was already dressed in the deep blue dallyeong, the black samo hat lying on a table nearby. When they entered the room, Sehun looked up from his phone, revealing his slicked-back hair and powdered face. Kyungsoo felt a tug of emotion at the sight. Sehun was really getting married…

“Brother,” Yifan drawled, stepping close to give Sehun a clap on the back. 

“Did you bring it?” Sehun asked, looking up expectantly at his oldest brother. 

“Dad said to drop it off at your apartment,” Yifan answered. “Look at you, all grown up.” 

“Shut it.” Sehun stood, setting his phone aside. Kyungsoo could see the flicker of a racing game on his screen. “Have the dogs arrived yet?”

Yifan snorted at the slur, while Kyungsoo stopped from visibly cringing. “Yes, they arrived a few minutes before Yifan.”

“Good.” Sehun smoothed his palms down his robe, over the golden embroidery that ran down the middle. “It would be embarrassing to be stood up.”

This time Yifan didn’t snort in amusement. He stepped back, quietly closing the door to the dressing room. Sehun and Kyungsoo shared a look at Yifan’s gesture. Something was foreboding about it. 

When Yifan turned around, Kyungsoo could see the seriousness in his expression. 

“Sehun,” Yifan started out slowly. 

“Don’t lecture me,” Sehun quickly interrupted. 

Yifan sighed. “I know Dad wants you to do this for whatever weird reason––”

“Blood curse,” Sehun blurted out.

“Right.” Yifan dragged his hand over his hair, smoothing it back. “Blood curse. Whatever the reason, are you– can you––“

“What? Spit it out?” Sehun folded his arms against his chest.

“Sehun, you know I am only saying this because I love you and I want you to be okay.” Yifan sucked in a breath before continuing. “Sehun… Gaeul.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes darted to Sehun the moment the name was spoken. Sehun stared at his older brother, unmoving, not showing even a hint of emotion. 

“Sehun, we’ve never talked about what happened, and I think––“

“Don’t mention her name again,” Sehun spat, venom alive in his tone, in the way he said the words. “Damnit, Yifan. Don’t.”

“You can’t keep pretending she didn’t exist,” Yifan pleaded. “It’s been centuries, Sehun. You can’t keep this up.”

“Funny thing for you to say, considering you sent me here to get married. Don’t pretend like father didn’t put you up to this. I didn’t come back to Joseon for VIVI’s expansion, no matter how much you want to pretend. You knew his plans, and yet you dare to––”

A soft rap on the door interrupted the brother’s argument.

“Yifan, are you in there?” Meichuo’s soft voice sounded from the other side. 

“Ah, sister-in-law, come in!” Sehun called out, not hiding how happy he was for the interruption. He shot Yifan a dirty look before plastering on a fake smile to greet his brother’s wife. 

Princess Meichuo entered the room, utterly oblivious to the tension she had just ended. She approached Sehun with a smile, giving him a hug. 

“You’re all grown up, Sehun,” she said, admiring him in his wedding attire. 

“It is nice that at least someone thinks that I am,” Sehun said cryptically, not sparing a glance at Yifan.

  
  


Kyungsoo had no knowledge of lycan ceremonies. In some ways, he doubted they had many, as they had always struck him as the disorderly, energetic sort of creature. The most he could garner from watching the lycan’s file into the grand ballroom at Yeonseok’s estate was that they clung close together and had more than enough dirty looks to cast upon vampires. 

The lycans stayed firmly to their own group, clinging to the left side of the ballroom. Kyungsoo played a game in his head, trying to figure out how they were each related to Kim Junmyeon. He stood, waiting near the back of the gathered assembly of vampires, his hands clasped firmly in front of him. Truth be told, the wedding was not large. There were less than two dozen lycans and the vampires assembled were far less than the full court that Yeonseok kept in Seoul. Kyungsoo didn’t recognize some of them. The unfamiliar faces were likely not even turned when he and Sehun had last lived in Joseon. 

The ballroom was lit by red and blue lanterns strung on the ceiling, casting a flickering glow over the gathering. Floral arrangements were scattered about the room, pinks and oranges, deep reds, and light purples. The soft sounds of a harp drifted in through the open ballroom doors, mingling with the hushed conversations. 

Kyungsoo glanced down at his watch, noting that the ceremony should begin any moment, assuming nothing had changed.

“Hi, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo looked up from his watch to find Park Chanyeol standing next to him, a broad smile on his face. Two thoughts flitted through Kyungsoo’s mind at that moment, one chasing furiously after the other. The first thought was the recognition that Park Chanyeol was devastatingly handsome in a tuxedo. The second thought was that Chanyeol’s neck was bare, and if Kyungsoo looked hard enough, he would probably be able to make out the scar from when he– from when–

“You look handsome with your hair like that,” Chanyeol said, leaning in a little too close. 

Kyungsoo cleared his throat and took a step back, looking away from Chanyeol. He unconsciously raised his hand to his hair; he hadn’t styled it  _ that  _ differently. 

“Um, thank you. You as well.”

“You think I’m handsome?” Chanyeol shot back without missing a beat. 

Kyungsoo could feel heat creep up his neck. “That–I wasn’t–”

“I’m just teasing you.” Chanyeol nudged his arm with his elbow. Kyungsoo stared down at the part of his arm the lycan had touched and frowned. 

The strains of the harp music grew louder, signaling that the ceremony would soon begin. Kyungsoo dared to look up at Chanyeol, meeting his eyes. There was a feeling of warmth there that Kyungsoo couldn’t explain. 

“I’ll see you after the ceremony,” Chanyeol whispered before stepping away, retreating to stand near the other lycans. 

Kyungsoo watched him go, a strange sensation stirring in his gut. He didn’t have time to dwell on it, to pick it apart and try to understand its meaning. Sehun stepped into the room, Yixing at his side as his attendant. The wedding was beginning, pushing all thoughts of Park Chanyeol firmly from Kyungsoo’s mind.

  
  


Kyungsoo watched as the traditional ceremony played out before his eyes. Kim Junmyeon looked nervous; his face flushed even under the dim lantern lighting. His hand seemed to shake when he offered it to Sehun. Inconsistent with Junmyeon’s demeanor, Sehun looked entirely at ease during the ceremony. While Junmyeon performed his bows sincerely and with exact movements, Sehun did his lazily, not putting any more energy into them than he had to. 

As the ceremony reached the portion that would be completed behind closed doors, away from those gathered, Sehun let Junmyeon’s hand drop, the pair walking out of the room looking no less bonded than they had during their very first meeting. As they disappeared through the doors, guests began to mingle, some filtering out behind the pair. 

The closed-door portion of the ceremony would last almost as long as the public ceremony and was for close family only. It wasn’t something that humans or lycans indulged in. It was vampiric, a bonding ritual that would formally welcome Kim Junmyeon into Yoo Yeonseok’s family. As such, Sehun’s brothers would be in attendance, but Kyungsoo would not. Left with time to kill, he left the ballroom, intending to find a quiet spot to spend some time going through emails. He had more than a few loose ends to tie up around the office–– Sehun had made it clear he wouldn’t be available for the next three days, which left Kyungsoo scrambling to reschedule meetings and push deadlines out. 

Kyungsoo wasn’t entirely familiar with Yeonseok’s estate, which meant he was hesitant to wander too far away from the ballroom. Kyungsoo hadn’t been to the home in centuries. The structure had been added onto and rebuilt in that period. He ended up in an alcove near the entrance, a place where he could be out of sight but still close enough to rejoin the wedding party when the time came. 

He opened his email and began typing out responses, reviewing a few files before he forwarded them on. It was somewhere between the email from marketing and the question about his expense report that he felt the now-familiar light headedness wash over him. Kyungsoo furrowed his brow, gripping his phone tightly as he tried to find his bearings. A sensation stabbed in his gut, almost like all of the blood that he had consumed was suddenly being drained, his center of gravity violently wrenched from him at the same time. 

Kyungsoo gasped, the phone dropping from his hand as his knees buckled.  _ Not again. Not again. Not again. Not here. _

His body was rebelling, limbs suddenly heavy. It felt almost like he was drowning in some invisible ocean, sinking, sinking, his lungs hugged by a fire that sprang forth from within. When his palms hit the red carpet, his skin was scraped, a burn stinging against his palms as his nails dug into the carpet. 

_ Hunger.  _

Kyungsoo tried to suck in a breath, but his entire core hurt; it was painful. 

And like a moth to a flame, Park Chanyeol wandered into Kyungsoo’s line of sight at a time when he should be wise to keep away. 

When Chanyeol called his name, Kyungsoo thought it sounded far away. He might even think it was a hallucination if it wasn’t for the incredibly strong scent that emanated from the alpha, drawing him in. The smell was real, the pull that Kyungsoo felt was real, anchoring him to that time and place.

Somewhere in the haze of his mind, he recognized the inherent danger of the moment. Sehun’s wedding. Yoo Yeonseok’s house. Whatever was happening to him wasn’t something he wanted Sehun and his family to know. 

“Please, help me,” Kyungsoo said weakly, staring up at Chanyeol. 

Chanyeol was crouched down, his arm out like he wanted to pull Kyungsoo towards him, but he was hesitant. 

“How? What do you need?” Chanyeol asked in a whisper. 

“I don’t want them to see,” Kyungsoo rasped, eyes wide and desperate. “I don’t want Sehun to see–”

Chanyeol looked over his shoulder, back down the hall, towards the ballroom. When he looked back at Kyungsoo, he finally allowed his hand to grip the vampire’s shoulder. “Come on. I’ll get you out of here,” he said in a low voice.

“Hurry,” Kyungsoo managed before his body betrayed him completely, his limbs going lax. 

⁂

Junmyeon had suffered through the ceremony, his stomach turning at the thought he was willingly marrying himself to…  _ one of those _ . Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sehun’s relaxed posture; when they had to face each other for vows, the vampire appeared downright bored with the entire thing. Junmyeon knew he was shaking and hated the fact that while he was experiencing a burst of anxiety, Oh Sehun looked like he could take a nap. But nothing, none of the awkward movements and feigned indifference could prepare Junmyeon for what came next. 

The room he was led to after the public ceremony was deeper into the estate, what Junmyeon guessed was on the other end up the sprawling complex. Yoo Yeonseok’s compound was set on the northern outskirts of the city, hidden among the dense foliage on land that sloped up on its path to Bukhan Mountain. A high wall surrounded it, thought Junmyeon seriously doubted anyone could see the house through the copses of trees that hugged the building. Inside was lavish, fitting for a man who presumably had spent centuries collecting his wealth. Fit for royalty, Junmyeon supposed. 

The interior of the house was bizarre, like a patchwork of architectural styles. Parts of the estate seemed to be a traditional hanok, with separate men’s and women’s quarters. Instead of standing alone, however, these areas were set into a more extensive maze of halls and rooms–– like someone had taken a much smaller, older home and built around it. The clay walls of the original house stood like walls of new, western-style corridors that hugged the old building. 

The room they traveled to was outfitted in a western style with dark paneling and shelves that rose two stories, filled with gold and green bound books. Floor to ceiling windows carved out of one side of the room, the thick green foliage staring back through the glass panes. Large carpets of burgundy were scattered on the polished wood floors, hints of gold reflecting along the outer edges. 

Junmyeon trailed after Sehun, not saying a word.  _ I just need the mark _ , he reminded himself. The mating mark would allow him to go back to work. All the frivolity of the ceremony could be quickly forgotten, and any legal attachments swiftly done away with. And, supposing there was a child, that too could become a distant memory. Junmyeon had read and re-read the contract numerous times that morning, reassuring himself that he was doing the right thing. 

Prince Yeonseok was waiting for them in the room, standing together with men and women whom Junmyeon had first met minutes before the ceremony. Siblings of some sort, people with royal titles and the same type of arrogant ways about them as Sehun. Junmyeon doubted he would care for any of them; they were one more item to add to the list of things he would be more than willing to forget. 

Junmyeon’s family were allowed in the room as well; his father and mother stood near the windows, Junseok by their side. When Junmyeon noticed the tear stains on his mother’s cheeks, a pain settled in his chest. Regret, perhaps. 

“Stand here,” Sehun said, pointing to a spot next to him. 

Junmyeon complied, shuffling to stand next to Sehun. Yeonseok was watching him, eyes trained on Junmyeon’s face. Junmyeon stared back, willing his heart to calm itself before it beat out of his chest. He wouldn’t back down from Sehun’s family, he wouldn’t act as timid as he felt. 

“We are gathered to welcome the newest member of the Yoo Dynasty,” Yeonseok started. “Kim Junmyeon, you shall be welcomed into the blood of Yoo, and from this day forward, we shall protect you as one of your own. The bond that you shall form with Prince Oh Sehun shall carry you into all of our hearts and minds. As one of us, you shall walk forward, the blood of the seven-strong in your veins.”

“Wait, you aren’t turning me into a vampire, right?” Junmyeon asked, suddenly very afraid of what  _ the link _ entailed. 

“No, of course not.” Yeonseok smiled. “But blood shall be exchanged as is our custom. Now, please face each other.”

Junmyeon felt his muscles tense, his heart lurching. He turned, feet feeling heavy and uncoordinated. Sehun’s gaze was unwavering, his eyes holding darkness that seemed to draw in all of Junmyeon’s fears, all of his anxiety and throw it back at him a hundred-fold. 

“I’ll go first,” Sehun said, his voice quiet. He reached out for Junmyeon. When his hand met Junmyeon’s neck, the omega felt a spike of cold adrenaline. 

Sehun’s thumb traced the column of Junmyeon’s neck, sliding slowly downward. Junmyeon swallowed thickly, his throat moving against Sehun’s fingers. Sehun’s eyes flickered down, to where he held his spouse’s throat. 

Junmyeon tilted his head to the side, revealing the juncture of his throat, the place where an alpha should claim him. In another life, he supposed, that would have been what he experienced after his marriage. 

“Close your eyes,” Sehun whispered, his breath hot against Junmyeon’s cheek. 

Junmyeon complied, heart thundering. He must smell like fear, like terror and panic. He must look like prey, a quivering animal that had been cornered by–

When Sehun’s teeth punctured his neck, Junmyeon cried out, his eyes snapping open. He knew he released a wave of scent, his body awakening to a new reality where instinct would replace control. He reached out, his fingers digging into the silk of Sehun’s robe, nails biting into the fabric. 

It was over too soon, much too soon. Sehun’s teeth left behind a puncture mark, his tongue darting out to swirl up the drops of blood that sat hot against Junmyeon’s skin. A moment later, Sehun was offering his neck to Junmyeon, leaning in, blood smeared against the corner of his lips. 

Junmyeon should have been revolted by the idea; this wasn’t a claiming in the traditional sense. They weren’t in the bedroom but fully clothed, standing in front of their families. An omega would typically return a mating bite nearer the shoulder than the neck, grazing muscle with their teeth. Sehun wasn’t asking for a mating bite; his finger was hovering over his pulse point.

“Bite,” he hissed, urging Junmyeon to get it over with. 

Junmyeon leaned in, clumsy in his attempt to break the skin. The first time he didn’t puncture. The second time he didn’t hold back, sinking his teeth into the column of Oh Sehun’s neck without a second thought. Warm blood flooded into his mouth, the metallic and bitter taste heavy on his tongue. 

_ Blood. _ He was drinking blood. He was drinking blood, clutching fistfuls of silk, his scent heavy in the air. And he didn’t want to stop, a strange sensation overcoming him as he swallowed. Junmyeon couldn’t place the feeling, couldn’t put a name to it. Was it desire? Was it a strange sense of comfort or intimacy that felt, on a base level, good? Was it all an unwanted reaction to a claiming bite? He had no idea; all he could say for sure is that when Sehun moved back, urging Junmyeon to detach his mouth, the omega let out a whine of frustration at being told to stop. 

Blood trickled from the wound, down the pale column of Sehun’s neck. Drops of blood marred the blue silk robe. Junmyeon knew he had blood on his mouth, probably had blood on his chin. He stared up at Sehun, his body quivering in some involuntary reaction. Junmyeon’s chest heaved, breathing ragged. 

“Welcome Prince Kim Junmyeon, to the family of Yoo,” Yeonseok said, voice loud and authoritative. A chorus of welcomes sounded around him. “The link is complete.”

And still, he didn’t move back; still, he stood grasping firm to Sehun’s robes. The word primordial sprung into Junmyeon’s mind.  _ Primitive. _

In Junmyeon’s rational mind, he knew the darkness in Sehun’s eyes was the same, that the color hadn’t changed–– yet he could almost swear it was  _ different _ somehow. That instead of a lack of interest, instead of arrogance, it was sadness that stared back at him. Gnawing loneliness, a lingering feeling of regret and penance lived in that darkness, so different from what Junmyeon customarily encountered. 

“I–” Junmyeon started, stopping the moment warmth flooded his core. He knew it within a few seconds, the firing of his nerves signaling the second betrayal of his body. He couldn’t finish his sentence, couldn’t move back, couldn’t do anything but grasp the silk robe tighter, staring up at Sehun, feeling utterly helpless and out of control.

“He’s in heat.” Junseok’s voice. His brother, yes, his brother was there. And his parents. The haziness, the fog of heat was quickly settling in. “The bite likely triggered it.”

“Help,” Junmyeon rasped, pleading with Sehun. “Help me.”

Sehun didn’t say anything but didn’t move away either. The darkness in those eyes…

“It looks like our newlyweds will be skipping the banquet,” Yeonseok drawled. “Congratulations, son.”

Junmyeon took a step forward, his body seeming to move of its own volition. He buried his nose into the fabric of Sehun’s robe, inhaling, body crying out. 


	8. Chapter 7 Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PORN I mean. Enjoy :)

Kyungsoo had learned of blood lust centuries ago from Yifan, his explanation longwinded, stretching over the space of a few hours as the two of them shared drinks at the pavilion outside Yeonseok’s Hanyang estate. Kyungsoo politely listened to the older vampire, nodding, and asking questions as the takju he sipped left him feeling dizzy and warm. He hadn’t expected he’d ever have to dredge up the details Yifan imparted to him, because he had every intention of being a well-fed vampire. 

_ Every intention.  _

His body was no longer willing to cooperate. Kyungsoo had done his best to push his physical changes from his mind, reminding himself repeatedly that  _ vampires didn’t get sick _ , at least not in the sense he was experiencing. 

The recently discussed blood curse revolved around the creation of a new generation of vampires, not the health and wellness of an existing one. Kyungsoo had never, in all the centuries he had lived, created progeny. His blood had never been thinned. No, it wasn’t the blood curse that was afflicting him. What was plaguing him, however, remained a mystery. 

He couldn’t think clearly, couldn’t put his thoughts in order. His mind felt like it had been shattered, like a broken mirror, jagged pieces strewed about, his thoughts bouncing from one fragment to the other in an endless loop. He felt weak, hungry, and cold. 

_ Powerless. _

Park Chanyeol was an idiot. That could be the only explanation, Kyungsoo decided, as to why he was willing to carry him from Yeonseok’s estate, why he was willing to slide the vampire into the backseat of his car. 

Idiocy could be the only logical explanation as to why Chanyeol didn’t stop there. Why he didn’t bother to ask Kyungsoo where he lived or where he should take him. 

“Where?” Kyungsoo managed to get out when Chanyeol shifted the car into park. 

“My apartment,” Chanyeol answered, not a hint of hesitation in his voice.

_ Stupid, stupid, stupid.  _

Kyungsoo should have yelled at him, scolded the lycan for his foolishness, his complete and total lack of self-preservation. But he didn’t, too entranced by the sweet scent that clung to Chanyeol, the smell that surrounded him the moment Chanyeol opened the back door and reached for him. 

His limbs still felt like lead weights, body unwilling to cooperate. He could do little more than to let out a pathetic, quiet whine as Chanyeol picked him up. Kyungsoo had always considered himself a man with strong convictions. Stubborn, perhaps, would be the word for it. Once he decided a course of action was wrong, was dangerous, he would never follow it no matter what the temptation might be. 

The scent that clung to Chanyeol, the memory of his blood, destroyed the conviction that Kyungsoo took pride in. He was ashamed of the way he buried his nose in the fabric of Chanyeol’s shirt, closing his eyes and making no effort to stop what was happening. 

Lycan blood should repulse him.  _ Disgust him _ . Why Park Chanyeol’s blood enticed him was disturbing on many levels, but he wasn’t about to dwell on the  _ whys _ . Not when his body was screaming for that blood to satiate the hunger that was destroying him from within. 

“Is there anyone I should call?” Chanyeol asked the long-overdue question. When Kyungsoo didn’t answer, he followed up. “Kyungsoo? What should I do…”?

Not take me to your home. Not get near me.  _ Not. Not. Not. _

Kyungsoo didn’t care that they were in an elevator; he didn’t particularly care that the door might slide open at any floor and reveal them to a young family on their way out for ice cream or a grandmother returning back from a day of shopping. He nosed into Chanyeol’s neck, the memory of his blood spurring him on. 

Kyungsoo parted his lips. Hungry.  _ So hungry. _

“Not yet,” Chanyeol said gruffly, understanding what the vampire wanted. 

_ When? When? _

A ding of the elevator, Chanyeol fumbling to punch in the door code without dropping Kyungsoo, the click of the lock sliding open. Darkness, then light, all surrounded by Park Chanyeol’s scent, by the memory of his blood.

The background faded away, the walls, the floor, falling back into the void of everything that wasn’t the throbbing vein on Chanyeol’s neck. Kyungsoo had never craved for something more in his undead life. 

“Now,” Chanyeol said the word, the sound vibrating along the column of his throat. 

Kyungsoo broke the skin a second later, sinking his teeth into the blood-warm flesh, his mouth filling with the sweet, hot liquid. Chanyeol’s blood seared Kyungsoo’s tongue, branding his taste buds with the alluring taste he craved.

_ Greed _ . It was the best word to describe why Kyungsoo drank. More. He wanted more. The blood slid down his throat, but it wasn’t enough. Would never be enough. He remained latched onto Chanyeol’s throat, teeth scraping along the bits of flesh, as the lycan moved further into the apartment. The beat of Chanyeol’s heart was in his blood, in the way it advanced into Kyungsoo’s mouth, weighty on his tongue. 

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol’s voice was gravelly and low.

Kyungsoo registered that he was being set down, that his backside hit something soft, a mattress perhaps. His only reaction to the change in position was to clamp his hand hard on Chanyeol’s shoulder, teeth scraping deeper into his skin. 

A human would not possess the strength to push Kyungsoo away, not when he was in the middle of a blood lust. He would be immovable to them. For an alpha lycan, however, he was little resistance. Chanyeol pushed him back, Kyungsoo gasping roughly as he bounced back into the mattress. 

Kyungsoo stared up, wide-eyed, blood trickling down his chin, down his neck, soiling his clothing. His chest heaved, his veins felt like fire as Chanyeol’s blood began to course through his body. Chanyeol stood above him, the top of his shirt torn, blood staining the collar and smeared across his neck. His face was flushed, eyes dark. The lycan clamped his hand over the wound, blood sliding under his hand to trickle down his neck. 

_ More. I want more. The taste. The way he tastes… _

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol repeated, saying his name like he could convey a lengthy message in just one word. “Kyungsoo…”

Kyungsoo was a man possessed; his actions were abhorrent when he looked back on them, but at the moment, he needed no solid logical reason, no stubborn conclusion as to why he was reaching, searching Chanyeol’s eyes for a flicker of agreement. 

He saw confusion there, in the way Chanyeol looked at him, in the way he seemed to hesitate a moment before he was leaning down, eyes searching Kyungsoo’s face before landing on his lips. 

It was Kyungsoo who closed the gap, his hand going to the back of Chanyeol’s neck and pulling him in. Their lips met, blood and saliva mingling as Kyungsoo licked along the seam of Chanyeol’s lips. 

When Chanyeol parted his lips, the rest seemed inevitable. Kyungsoo licked into his mouth, heat and want spurring him forward. His hunger for blood was being diverted, redirected. 

Chanyeol moaned into the kiss, moving forward, angling his head to deepen it. 

Kyungsoo tasted the sweetness that Chanyeol carried in his blood in their kiss, tasted it when he sucked Chanyeol’s bottom lip into his mouth, teeth scraping lightly against his lip. 

It had been a long time since Kyungsoo had kissed anyone like this. Ten years? Longer? He couldn’t remember, nor did he particularly care. He moved his hands, fingernails pressing into the fabric of Chanyeol’s shirt, branding half crescents onto his shoulders. 

It was Chanyeol who broke the kiss first, mouth moving lower, to suck marks along the ridge of Kyungsoo’s jaw, down the column of his neck. 

Kyungsoo’s dick stirred, nerves firing, the rolling adrenaline of lust taking hold. He could smell the lycan’s scent, something that should, by all accounts, repulse him. It didn’t. He wanted more, wanted to be enveloped in it. 

When Chanyeol’s teeth scraped against the juncture of Kyungsoo’s neck, he keened, swallowing thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Chanyeol’s hand wandered down his side, smoothing along the wrinkled mess of Kyungsoo’s suit jacket, pushing the fabric up until Chanyeol’s wide palm was squeezing his hip. Kyungsoo wanted, he needed, fingers skidding along Chanyeol’s skin, scraping along his scalp.

There was a hazy quality to it, to the way they moved. Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if he was the one who shucked his jacket off or if it was Chanyeol, hands insistent as he tried to touch more of Kyungsoo, map out more of his body with his touch. He wasn’t entirely sure who ended up shirtless first, or who sucked the first red and pink mark into the other’s skin. 

Kyungsoo arched his back when Chanyeol licked around one of his nipples, dragging his tongue over the bud before suckling it. His toes curled, digging into the soft mattress, head falling back as he reveled in the sensation. Chanyeol palmed the other nipple, the sensitive bud kindling a heat in Kyungsoo’s core when it met the rough, calloused skin of Park Chanyeol’s palm. 

Chanyeol slid his hand along Kyungsoo’s side, stopping at the waist of his dress pants. He hooked a finger along the fabric.

“Can I–”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo hissed. He felt impatient, possessed of a continued hunger that was being tinged with lust, his patience hovering at the edge of a cliff. 

Kyungsoo readily lifted his hips after Chanyeol undid the button of his pants, moving to push his pants off. Too much fabric, too many clothes. Chanyeol was too slow, too gentle.

Kyungsoo groaned in frustration, his hand pushing on Chanyeol’s chest until he moved back. The lycan rocked back on his heels, his eyes wide as he looked at Kyungsoo.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked.

“Lay down,” Kyungsoo ordered, stumbling once as he tried to get off the bed. His muscles still felt heavy, unhelpful, but they were improving. He managed to kick his pants off, stripping his underwear next. His cock sprang free, pre-cum glistening at the head. He had no feelings of modesty as he stood naked in front of the lycan for the first time. 

“You’re beautiful,” Chanyeol rasped, gaze flickering over Kyungsoo’s naked body.

Kyungsoo didn’t have time for flattery. He ignored the comment in favor of undoing the button on Chanyeol’s pants, roughly tugging them down. Chanyeol scrambled to help, legs kicking out awkwardly as they worked together to slide the wool trousers down his legs. Kyungsoo was methodical, tugging Chanyeol’s boxers along, not satisfied until he was tossing the garments on the floor. 

Chanyeol seemed to have a moment of embarrassment when Kyungsoo turned to him, his hand flying to cover his dick. 

Kyungsoo didn’t comment on the show of modesty. Instead, he climbed back on the bed and straddled Chanyeol, his thighs pressing against the tight muscles of Chanyeol’s legs. Kyungsoo crawled forward, mouth moving to find the place on Chanyeol’s neck that fit the shape of his teeth. 

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol rasped. “I’m not sure if–”

Kyungsoo’s tongue darted out, licking along the wound, lapping up the wet blood. At the same time, he raked his nails down Chanyeol’s chest, leaving a trail of pink. 

Chanyeol moaned, the noise sounding sweet to Kyungsoo’s ears. He wanted to hear it again, the raspy noise that he could feel vibrate along the column of Chanyeol’s neck, along the space where he drank, the place where he lapped at the wound. 

Kyungsoo raked his teeth against Chanyeol’s neck, careful not to break the skin. He knew that the lycan would be weak if he drank from him too much, that he had to be careful. It was difficult to hold back, but if he didn’t, his fun would prematurely end. He only wanted another moan, another mess of noise that he could feel with his whole body. 

Kyungsoo reveled in the shakiness of Chanyeol’s breath, in the way he found he could pull a moan from Chanyeol’s lips when his teeth left a trail of pink against the lycan’s skin. He let the haziness take over, let his mind focus only on the alluring noises Chanyeol made, on the way each touch seemed to make fire shoot up his spine.

Kyungsoo wasn’t sure how much time had passed like this; he only knew that the heat was building, that he wanted, no, needed, more. 

“Please tell me you have lube.” Kyungsoo spoke the words against Chanyeol’s shoulder, a pink mark that fit the shape of his mouth blooming beneath him. 

“Yes,” Chanyeol replied, shakily reaching for the nightstand next to the bed. Kyungsoo finished the action, leaning over to pull open the drawer. He rummaged around for a moment before he found the small bottle. 

Kyungsoo hadn’t kissed like that in a decade; it had been an even more extended period since he had slept with anyone. A sudden burst of anxiety hit him as he stared down at the bottle. All of this was… they hadn’t talked about…

Kyungsoo tossed the bottle at Chanyeol, the alpha fumbling to catch it. Kyungsoo slid off Chanyeol a second later, moving to lay next to him. He parted his legs, swallowing thickly as he caught Chanyeol’s eye. He didn’t want to think about it too much, didn’t want to debate it. 

It was the first time he saw the lycan look confident, sure of himself as he smirked in response to what Kyungsoo was implying. “You want me to...”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo said through gritted teeth, letting his head tip back. He listened to the unclick of the bottle, muscles tensing with anticipation. 

Chanyeol didn’t say anything before he touched, before he traced a lubed finger along Kyungsoo’s rim. He was quiet when he settled between Kyungsoo’s legs, kissing up the inside of his thighs as he circled Kyungsoo’s rim, teasing along the entrance. 

“You’re moving too slow,” Kyungsoo rasped, stifling a moan a second later when Chanyeol pressed the tip of his finger past the ring of muscles. From there, he stopped complaining, too busy biting back moans as Chanyeol worked him open with his fingers. 

Chanyeol continued to kiss and nuzzle along the inside of Kyungsoo’s thighs, his tongue sliding against the blood-warmed skin. When he licked a stripe up the length of Kyungsoo’s cock, the vampire tensed, inhaling a breath in a hiss. 

Chanyeol tongued along the head, licking up the pre-cum before sucking Kyungsoo’s dick into his mouth, wet and hot. 

Kyungsoo pressed his fingers into the mattress, core tensing. The sensation of being sucked off while Chanyeol worked him open with his fingers was dizzying, his release threatening to build at any moment. 

Chanyeol hummed along the length, taking all of Kyungsoo in his mouth, his fingers pressing deep inside of Kyungsoo’s hole, searching for the bundle of nerves that would send him over the edge. 

“No, not–” Kyungsoo husked. “Not yet.”

Chanyeol listened, albeit slowly. He removed his fingers at an excruciatingly slow pace, his tongue still teasing the head of Kyungsoo’s cock.

Kyungsoo reacted swiftly, readjusting their position as best he could. He reached for Chanyeol’s shoulder and pushed him back, not satisfied until the alpha was flat on his back, eyes wide as he watched Kyungsoo climb on top of him. 

Kyungsoo straddled Chanyeol, hand going to sheath his dick. A moment of appreciation slipped by, Kyungsoo feeling a sense of satisfaction at what he was about to impale himself on. 

“Wait! I don’t have a condom o–” Chanyeol’s words dissolved into a strangled moan as Kyungsoo slid down on his dick, taking Chanyeol’s length in one swift movement, only stopping when he was fully seated. 

“Vampires can’t get STDs,” Kyungsoo rasped, finding a moment of amusement in the way Chanyeol had panicked. 

Kyungsoo placed his hands on the width of Chanyeol’s chest, then moved his hips, bouncing on Chanyeol’s cock. It was his turn to gasp, a breathy moan spilling from his lips as he took Chanyeol’s thick cock inside of him. 

Chanyeol’s hands found Kyungsoo’s hips, fingers pressing into the skin, muscles moving as Kyungsoo rode him. 

“You’re going to kill me,” Chanyeol gasped, not sounding at all like it was a bad thing.

Kyungsoo didn’t like to take things slow, didn’t want to make anything about the encounter sentimental. He wanted release, he wanted pleasure, he wanted to be satiated. He moved, ass bouncing on Chanyeol’s length, cock slapping his abdomen as he chased his release. It was searing, this lust, this desire that built in him. 

“Feel so good,” Chanyeol husked.

Kyungsoo fell forward, Chanyeol bucking his hips up to chase his movement. He sucked in his bottom lip, pushing back on Chanyeol’s dick. 

Chanyeol’s hand smoothed to palm Kyungsoo’s ass, squeezing and kneading as he fucked up into him. 

“So hot, you’re–” Chanyeol choked on the words, his hot breath meeting Kyungsoo’s. “Beautiful.”

Kyungsoo felt like every inch of him was being filled as Chanyeol fucked into him. His insides stretching, fitting themselves around Chanyeol’s cock. He wanted more, wanted him to go deeper, wanted… he wanted…

Kyungsoo was moving before he could consider what it was that he was really doing, what any implications might be. His teeth met the puncture of Chanyeol’s throat, piercing the skin. Blood immediately flooded his mouth, the taste on his tongue heightening his pleasure ten-fold. 

Chanyeol’s hips stuttered up, then he was moving, his arm around Kyungsoo’s back as he maneuvered them into a seated position. Blood mixed with sweat dripping down his neck, his chest. He gripped Kyungsoo tightly, fucking into him as the vampire drank greedily from his neck. 

Kyungsoo could feel the fire dance along his skin, up to his spin, spreading out from his middle. He could feel his muscles come alive, his skin slick with heat and sweat. He drank, bouncing on Chanyeol’s cock, the pleasure building inside of him. He was close, so close. The sensation of being filled, of drinking the elixir that was Chanyeol’s blood– it was too much. 

Kyungsoo moaned against Chanyeol’s neck, blood smearing on his lips, on Chanyeol’s skin. Hot and metallic with a sweet edge, Chanyeol driving into him again and again. Kyungsoo tensed, back arching a moment before the jolt of electricity stuttered through his body, his release overcoming him with a strangled cry. 

He came, Chanyeol buried deep inside of him, blood hot and wet on his tongue. 

“Oh god, you’re so fucking tight, so–” Chanyeol moaned. He moved quickly, angling over until Kyungsoo was flat on his back on the bed, Chanyeol over him. 

Chanyeol fucked into him hard, hips setting a brutal pace, fucking him through his orgasm. Kyungsoo felt tears prick the edges of his eyes as his oversensitive body reacted to Chanyeol’s thrusts. The alpha above him had flushed cheeks, his hair plastered with sweat to his forehead. Kyungsoo had a flickering thought that he wanted to kiss him, to kiss his cheeks, his forehead, to smooth his bangs away. 

Chanyeol’s brow furrowed for a split second as he gasped. Kyungsoo had little time to react to what was happening, too blissed out and oversensitive to do more than whine at the repeated stimulation. 

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol growled, the sound of skin slapping skin chasing his words. And then he felt it, the pressure on his rim. 

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened, his nails dug into Chanyeol’s back, breaking the skin. Chanyeol ‘s hips thrust forward, hard. Kyungsoo cried out, a splintering pain tearing through him like he was being torn in half. 

The noise Chanyeol made was inhuman, almost primitive. It came from low in his throat, a deep garbled sound escaping his lips before he was falling forward, muscles tensing and untensing, his release spilling inside of Kyungsoo hot and fast. 

Kyungsoo had never felt anything like it. The pain, the pressure that wracked through his body was all new. The sensation of Chanyeol cumming inside of him in spurts, filling him to the brim. 

_ Knotted. _ Chanyeol had knotted him. The alpha’s knot had exploded into him, releasing pulses of white inside of Kyungsoo. 

Pain.  _ So much pain. _

“Sorry, I’m sorry, Kyungsoo, I’m sorry,” Chanyeol repeated it over and over, in a broken whisper. 

Kyungsoo flinched, whimpering. 

“I’m sorry too,” he managed to say, never one to be on the losing end. 

Through the haze of sex and blood, of pain that chased pleasure, Kyungsoo lifted his head up from the soft pillow. He took Chanyeol by surprise as he sunk his teeth into the lycan’s neck, a third bite, red, hot blood spilling into the vampire’s mouth. 


	9. Chapter 7 Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOOK MORE SMUT

Kim Junmyeon was not a virgin. Of course, he wasn’t; the idea of a virginal omega was about as ridiculous to him as the concept that all omegas should stay home and do nothing more than have babies and say, “Yes, alpha” when told to do something. 

Junmyeon had his fair share of partners over the years, mostly betas. He hadn’t been serious about any of them, not enough to enter any form of a long-term relationship, at least. If the sex was good and they were tolerable, Junmyeon saw no issue with keeping a few of them on speed dial. One thing he never did, however, is sleep with anyone while he was in heat– though admittedly he had much experience with the condition. 

Junmyeon hated heats and did his part to make sure he didn’t experience them often. He took his suppressants diligently, only having experienced the condition twice before. The first time he was in high school and not sexually active, the second time had been when he slipped into heat when attacked.

The third time Kim Junmyeon slipped into heat, signaled a change. On the morning of Junmyeon’s wedding, Junseok had asked him if he wanted an injection of suppressants just-in-case. A bite could trigger something, even if the chances were remote since the person doing the biting wasn’t an alpha lycan. 

Junmyeon hadn’t thought twice about turning down the shot. Part of the deal was a pregnancy, and he was eager to get every aspect of the agreement over with as quickly as possible. If he slipped into heat, so be it. Let the games begin, he thought. 

The games, it turned out, started with Junmyeon practically dry humping his new spouse in front of both of their families. Later the mortification and embarrassment would set in, but at the moment, Junmyeon could only think of what his body was screaming out for. 

Sehun’s chest heaved with a heavy sigh as Junmyeon clung to him, burying his nose in the blue silk of his robe. Junmyeon moved his hips, a low whine slipping past his lips. 

“Not here. Let me take you home,” Sehun said quietly. 

“You’re welcome to use rooms here,” Yeonseok informed them.

Sehun quickly turned down the idea. “It’s fine.”

Junmyeon should have said goodbye to his family; he would have been absolutely mortified to realize he skipped his own wedding banquet (even if the marriage was a sham, it was rude to dismiss the effort that went into the celebration). But the embarrassment and mortification never came as far more critical needs and wants taking hold. He let Sehun put his arm over his shoulders and steer him towards the door, ready to follow him anywhere.

The ride to Sehun’s penthouse was like a fever dream, Junmyeon’s hand searching out Sehun’s in the backseat of the car, oblivious to the fact the driver had a perfect look at what was happening in the backseat. 

Sehun gently removed his hand time and time again, keeping the physical contact at a minimum until they were in the safety of his apartment. By the time the door snickered shut, Junmyeon was frustrated. Sweat trickled down his back; his skin was warm. He felt like every nerve ending was firing, fire skipping along his skin. He could feel the wetness on his backside, slick pooling. He was half-hard, his dick pressing uncomfortably against the fabric of his trousers. 

Once the door was shut, Junmyeon made short work of his red silk robe, fingers clumsily pushing at the fabric until he could strip it over his head. Junmyeon tossed the garment on the floor, not caring where it ended up. 

Sehun watched him, an amused expression on his face. 

“Don’t laugh at me,” Junmyeon warned, annoyance breaking through the haziness of his heat. 

“I’m not,” Sehun shot back. “You’re cute when you’re frustrated.”

“Let’s get this over with,” Junmyeon growled. His body might be ready, but his mind still held onto a sliver of disgust at what he was about to do.

“Sexy,” Sehun dead-panned. 

“Where’s your bedroom?” Junmyeon asked, brushing past Sehun. 

“This way, your highness,” Sehun drawled, gesturing for Junmyeon to follow him. 

Uncomfortable was an understatement. Junmyeon was horny, his brain was foggy, he was pissed off and turned on, and while in his mind he still didn’t particularly like Oh Sehun, his body had all but decided he was the best thing  _ ever _ . 

Junmyeon, annoyed and disgruntled, let his inhibitions go. He wasn’t modest as he stripped off his trousers, the white silk pooling onto the floor. His cock sprung free, pre-cum wetting at the head. 

“How do you want to do this?” Junmyeon asked, glancing over to see Sehun stripping off his robe.

The vampire didn’t look like much, he wasn’t notably bulky in build despite his broad shoulders, but his clothing had been hiding the type of lean muscle that Junmyeon liked. Abs, broad shoulders. Junmyeon swallowed thickly. 

Sehun smirked at the apparent appreciation, before walking towards Junmyeon. There was a smear of blood on his neck, and the knowledge that he had caused it turned Junmyeon on more. His mouth had been there; it was his teeth that had pressed into Sehun’s skin.  _ His. His. _

Junmyeon let the heat take over, let his inhibitions melt away as he took one step, then two. There was no rule that he couldn’t chase some sort of enjoyment in the deal…right? He might as well make the ensuing minutes pass by as tolerably as possible. He wanted it to end quickly, but some things needed to be appreciated. 

Sehun watched through half-lidded eyes as Junmyeon reached out, his fingers tracing along Sehun’s abs, nails grazing lower, along the trail of hair. 

Junmyeon looked up, meeting Sehun’s gaze. Darkness, the darkness that seemed to be infinitely full of feeling and mystery. Junmyeon took another step forward, his palm going flat onto Sehun’s stomach. He put his weight forward, on his toes, and stood taller, his lips pressing into Sehun’s. 

It started as a chaste kiss, their lips pressed together warm and soft. Junmyeon was the insistent one, swiping his tongue out to lick along the seam of Sehun’s lips. Sehun was all too happy to oblige, parting his lips, allowing Junmyeon to lick inside his mouth, their kiss hot and searing. 

Junmyeon moaned into the kiss, already too turned on to care. He wanted more; he wanted something, anything, to take the edge off the fever that had seized his body. Oh Sehun was  _ something _ – he also happened to be an excellent kisser. 

Sehun’s hands found Junmyeon’s sides, smoothing lower to his waist. He rested them there, his tongue sliding along Junmyeon’s tongue as he deepened the kiss. 

Kissing a vampire should be disgusting to him, cold and soulless. Junmyeon didn’t feel that way, couldn’t describe the way Sehun licked into his mouth as cold. Sehun might not be someone Junmyeon wanted to hook up with, but he was someone he  _ had _ to hook up with, and he was a warm and attractive  _ someone _ at that. 

Their movements towards the bed were clumsy, Junmyeon backing up, Sehun’s hands on his waist. When he stepped back, he felt the wetness that was pooling between his leg, slick dripping from his hole. It was uncomfortable and disgusting, but at least if he had to deal with the full symptoms of heat, he wouldn’t do so alone. 

Junmyeon broke the kiss when the back of his legs hit the edge of Sehun’s bed, making him shift awkwardly on his feet. Junmyeon blinked up at Sehun, at the way his bottom lip was already starting to swell. 

_ I should be looking at my alpha _ , Junmyeon smirked, the spell or arousal momentarily broken.  _ It should be my mate about to claim me during my heat _ . It was funny to him that this moment, which his species put so much importance on, was, in his case, a farce. That on his neck was the bite not of an alpha, but of a vampire. That the person who he was about to sleep with, the man he would spend his wedding night with, was not even a lycan and most certainly was not an alpha. It was absurd in so many ways, and maybe it was the fever of heat or the wine he had sipped before the ceremony; whatever it was, he suddenly saw the comedy in it.

“Do you find me amusing?” Sehun asked, closing in on Junmyeon. 

“Maybe, a little,” Junmyeon responded, though the jovial edge to his words quickly died. The darkness in Oh Sehun’s eyes wiped the smile from Junmyeon’s face, replacing it with a different feeling entirely. 

The whimper that spilled from Junmyeon’s lips was pathetic sounding. It was needy and helpless and wanting all at the same time. Sehun reached forward, his hand cupping Junmyeon’s face. 

Junmyeon swallowed thickly. Sehun swiped his thumb gently over Junmyeon’s cheek. It felt too caring, too… considerate. Affectionate. Junmyeon bristled at the gesture, once again pivoting forward to cover Sehun’s mouth with his own.

Junmyeon took the lead, his hand slipping down Sehun’s abdomen until his fingers dipped under the waistband of Sehun’s trousers. 

“Off, off,” Junmyeon husked, nipping at Sehun’s bottom lip before stepping back. 

He climbed onto the bed, thankful for the mound of pillows that rested against the upholstered headboard. Junmyeon let his back fall against the pillows, his legs parting without shame. If he wasn’t in heat, he would never have been so bold, not with someone he had such little regard for. But this, this was different. This was an erratic mix of lust and loathing. It was a sensation of needing to be fulfilled while wanting to get the entire thing over with as quickly as possible. Suddenly it seemed like it was best to lay back, to refrain from kissing, to offer himself up for what he was… a vessel. 

Junmyeon watched as Sehun slipped his trousers over his hips, the fabric sliding down to reveal the smooth and toned skin of his thighs. His dick sprang free, red at the head, slick with pre-cum. 

Junmyeon sucked in a breath at the sight. Sehun was  _ big _ . Wide and long and suddenly Junmyeon had severe doubts that even while he was in heat, the stretch would be possible. 

Sehun kicked his pants off, leaving them on the floor as he climbed onto the bed, the mattress dipping under him. 

“I’d normally indulge in some foreplay, but I don’t think that’s necessary,” Sehun said, nodding towards Junmyeon’s open legs. 

“Shut up and stick it in,” Junmyeon hissed. He raised his hand to his mouth, blood thundering in his veins as his heart thudded in his chest. He was nervous, excited.  _ Annoyed. _

Sehun moved between Junmyeon’s thighs. When his palm touched Junmyeon’s knee, the omega jerked back, sucking in a breath. Sehun gave him a look of question. Junmyeon responded by looking away. 

“Hurry,” Junmyeon ordered, the word muffled by his hand. 

When Sehun teased the head of his cock against Junmyeon’s wet and puckered rim, Junmyeon bit down on his hand, toes curling. The second ticked by like minutes, the time seeming excruciatingly long. 

Junmyeon cried out when Sehun pressed the tip of his cock passed the ring of muscles, breaching Junmyeon’s hole easily. 

Another gush of slick painted Junmyeon’s walls, easing the slide as Sehun pressed into him. The stretch was– it was– Junmyeon held his breath. 

“Relax,” Sehun soothed, hands on Junmyeon’s waist, the pads of his thumbs pressing into Junmyeon’s hip bone. 

When Sehun was fully seated, Junmyeon let out his breath, exhaling a puff of hot air. He had never been filled this way, never been stretched to the point he was at that moment. And his body wanted it, his body craved it, his heat making him whine and rut down on the dick that was inside of him. 

Sehun responded by pistoning his hips, roughly fucking back and then forth, cock stretching Junmyeon’s walls taut. 

“Tell me how fast,” Sehun husked, pivoting his hips. 

Junmyeon choked back a moan, back arching.  _ So full _ . He was so full. 

“Faster,” Junmyeon managed, wanting to feel the rawness of it, wanting his body to be sated as quickly as possible. “Hard.”

A low, drawn-out noise of pleasure rumbled form Sehun’s throat as he began to fuck Junmyeon hard and fast, his balls slapping and hitting skin as he drove into the omega under him. 

Junmyeon closed his eyes and sucked in his bottom lip, focusing on the feeling of being filled. He whimpered, suddenly overcome with the sensation of his skin sliding against the bed linens, the prickle of pain burning on his waist and hip where Sehun pressed his fingers roughly against his skin. 

There was something animalistic about it, about the way they were fucking. Junmyeon didn’t want to kiss the man who pounded into him. He didn’t want to make promises or speak words of endearment. He just wanted to be fucked, to have Sehun release inside of him in the hopes that he would, if possible, end up pregnant. There was nothing emotional, nothing tender about the way the mattress moved underneath their joined bodies, about the way they touched each other under the dim light of the bedroom lamps. 

Only the primitive needs, primitive wants. Junmyeon’s body wanted release; his heat demanded it. So, he focused on that, on finding the edge and throwing himself off of it. He willed the tightening coil in his abdomen, welcoming the sensitivity of his body spurred on by his heat. 

He could have found his release like that too, eyes closed, teeth digging into the skin on the back of his hand as he tried to muffle his cries of pleasure, drowning out his verbal acknowledgment that what they were doing at least felt good. Junmyeon found comfort in this type of detachment, a reassurance that he summarily ruined when he opened his eyes, making the mistake of looking at Sehun. 

The vampire’s gaze bore into him, pulling him in. Junmyeon knew a whimper had spilled from his lips, but he didn’t care, couldn’t care. Not when the fire seared his skin, accompanied by a spreading pain that seemed to come from Oh Sehun’s gaze, from the darkness that Junmyeon was getting lost in. 

Pain. Sadness.  _ So much regret. _

Junmyeon felt his body tense, the most intense rush of emotions coursing through him. He had never felt this way, this rush of unbearable feeling both emotional and physical. It scared him, making him cry out, desperate to make sense of it. 

Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, down his cheeks, falling onto the fresh bed linens. The darkness that had drawn him in was ruining him, destroying him on multiple levels. 

Pain and heat. Fire. Junmyeon clawed at the bedsheets, nerve endings firing. He found the edge in that confusing moment, his body suddenly wracked with spasms, his release rushing through him in tandem with a crushing sob. He spurted cum onto his middle, Sehun fucking into him still. 

Junmyeon tightened around Sehun’s cock as he came, clenching tight as he cried out. It was enough to push the vampire over the edge, Sehun falling forward with a strangled cry as he spent his release, hot spurts releasing deep inside of Junmyeon. 

Junmyeon sucked in shaky breath after shaky breath, as he rode out his orgasm, the intense pain, and sadness that had overwhelmed him seeping from him as he came down from his high. He had never experienced anything like it; his release was soul-shattering. 

Sehun pulled out, moving back without a kiss, without a soft touch. Transactional. It was very transactional and cold, and for some reason, it only made Junmyeon’s feelings more intense.

“W-what–”  _ was that _ Junmyeon wanted to ask, but the words died in his throat. He stared up at the ceiling, chest heaving. He could hear Sehun’s ragged breath, felt the mattress dip as the vampire moved away.

“Are you thirsty?” Sehun asked.

_ No, I’m confused. I’m... I don’t know what I am. _ “No.”

“You should drink something. Don’t your heats last days in some cases? You need to stay hydrated,” Sehun said, padding over to the dresser on the far side of the room. 

His heat. His heat… “I think it’s gone,” Junmyeon said, voice barely above a whisper.

“What?” Sehun looked over his shoulder, back at Junmyeon.

“My heat is gone,” Junmyeon said, voice louder. “It’s broken.”

Heat shouldn’t break after one time, especially after one time with someone who wasn’t an alpha. Yet it had, the simmering haze lifting from Junmyeon like a fog driven away by the heat of the mid-morning sun. 

“It’s gone,” he repeated, sinking back into the pillows, confused and more than a little afraid. 

_ What was happening to him? _


	10. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you *may* have noticed I have been doing a lot of double updates :) Yes, so I will probably keep doing that, at least on Fridays. So once again, have 2 chapters (Chapter 8 and 9) Enjoy and thank you so much for reading ~

Chanyeol’s bed was soft, the feeling of his sheet against Kyungsoo’s bare skin was cold and gentle. The bed was comfortable, warm, and a bloody mess. When Kyungsoo sat up, hair sticking up ten different ways, he was greeted with a sight that could very well have belonged to one of the horror movies Sehun liked to watch.

The grey sheets were stained with blood, there was the lingering smell of sweat and sex in the air. Clothing, pillows, and the contents of the nightstand were strewn about the floor. When Kyungsoo glanced at the man sleeping next to him, his eyes naturally went to the red and pink, blue, and purple marks that marred Chanyeol’s arms, his neck, and his chest. 

A pain shot up Kyungsoo’s spine, a reminder of the damage inflicted on him the night before. He sucked in a breath, wincing before he turned his attention back to the man next to him. Chanyeol looked peaceful, his chest rising and falling slowly. He wore an unbothered expression, the kind that could only occur when a person is asleep and free of complicated dreams. If it wasn’t for the dried blood on his neck or the pink and puffy wounds, someone might believe he had simply nodded off for a restful night of slumber. 

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. They had sex, multiple rounds of it, Chanyeol knotting him twice. He drank Chanyeol’s blood several times through the night, neither of them growing tired enough to stop the erotic battle. It was the break of dawn, the first rays of light seeping into the apartment that Kyungsoo remembered as he fell into a fitful sleep. 

He needed to leave, needed to go into the office. Kyungsoo moved cautiously, lifting the sheet up and scooting towards the edge of the bed. When the mattress creaked under him, he stopped, frozen, listening for any sign Chanyeol was awake. 

With no indication he had woken the lycan, Kyungsoo stood from the bed, willing away a full-body wince at the pain that shot up his spine. Vampires really weren’t meant to be knotted…

He found his pants near the door to the bedroom, his shirt was balled up, lying next to Chanyeol’s dresser. As Kyungsoo bent down to retrieve it, a picture frame on top of the dresser caught his eye. He stopped, hand gripping the edge of the dresser. The frame was almost childish, primary colors with a little drawing of a baseball in the corner. The picture was from years ago, but Kyungsoo could clearly tell who was in it, at least of the people he’d met. 

Chanyeol was taller even then, towering over Junmyeon. They were in baseball uniforms, Junmyeon smiling brightly, a trophy in his hand. The awkwardness of youth, of pre-teen years, clung to them; baby fat and pimples and in Chanyeol’s case, an absolutely horrendous haircut. It made Kyungsoo smile, daring to imagine for a moment what Park Chanyeol was like as a child. When he realized what he was doing he quickly schooled his expression into indifference. 

“Please don’t look at that,” Chanyeol groaned.

Kyungsoo startled. “You’re awake,” he said dumbly, looking over his shoulder. 

“Yes. Why are you?”

Kyungsoo snatched his shirt from the floor, shaking it. “I need to go into the office. It’s a weekday, in case you forgot.”

“Shit, you’re right.” Chanyeol groaned again, but this time it wasn’t from embarrassment. 

Kyungsoo was busy fiddling with the buttons of his shirt when Chanyeol said it. “Do you want to get breakfast together, since we’re already going to be late.”

“No,” Kyungsoo answered succinctly, smoothing his palms over the front of his dress shirt. He knew he looked like a mess. It was unfortunate he would end up taking a cab in this condition, but it couldn’t be helped. “I need to go.”

Chanyeol dragged his hand through his hair, an all too distracting sight. Kyungsoo swallowed thickly and looked away. 

“I’ll get ready. Breakfast doesn’t sound good either. I can drop you off first.”

“No, that won’t be necessary.” Kyungsoo feigned a small smile before stepping towards the door. “I am more than capable of finding my own way.”

Chanyeol frowned, then padded after the vampire, trailing him out of the bedroom. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing,” Kyungsoo lied, cutting a beeline for the front door. Of course, there was something wrong; he had once again committed a horrible lapse of judgment. Sleeping with a lycan? What was he thinking? “Thank you for last night, but I think it is best if we keep our interactions formal from now on. With our employers married, we will have to work together in some capacity and–”

“You have got to be kidding me,” Chanyeol interrupted. 

Kyungsoo was busy slipping on his shoes, his hand braced against the wall. He didn’t dare look at Chanyeol, afraid he would make another mistake if he did. 

“You want to pretend like none of this happened? Like we didn’t have the most mind-blowing sex–”

“I need to go.” It was Kyungsoo’s turn to interrupt. He didn’t want to hear a play-by-play of his mistakes. 

“Kyungsoo.” He hated the way Chanyeol said his name, the way it made him want to stop and turn around, to change his mind and say something he would regret later. 

“I don’t have time,” Kyungsoo muttered, hand already on the doorknob. “Goodbye, Chanyeol.”

Kyungsoo opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. When the door clicked shut, he closed his eyes, pain settling in his brow. He could smell Chanyeol’s scent on him, on his skin. 

“I have to go,” he said under his breath, opening his eyes. He didn’t bother looking back as he walked to the elevator, the pain in his back working itself out as he went. 

  
  


Kyungsoo managed to leave VIVI Entertainment’s offices before the sunset, the workday a monotonous drone of paperwork and meetings. He felt like shit for most of the morning, the pain in his back not subsiding until after he sucked down a pouch of AB positive blood for lunch. It was a long day, but he got through it somehow. When he pulled up in front of the apartment in Insu-dong, he was somewhere between regretting his choice not to go straight home and wishing he had left the office an hour earlier. 

He was clutching his phone when the passenger side door opened, a familiar laugh sounding.

“Kyungsoo, it’s been too long.” Prince Jongdae slid into the passenger side, smiling widely as he reached over to give Kyungsoo a hug.

“Your highness,” Kyungsoo said gruffly, patting Jongdae on the back.

“He’s been talking about you all day,” Yixing said as he slid into the backseat. “About how much he’s missed getting in trouble with you.”

“You were the one who got in trouble,” Kyungsoo protested. “I was merely a spectator.”

“That’s not what I remember,” Jongdae countered, the familiar glint of mischief in his eye. 

Kyungsoo might be ready to argue about their shared past, but he was more than relieved for their reunion. Jongdae had visited them in China often over the years, a welcome presence that took the edge off Yifan’s intensity and Sehun’s sarcasm. He was the good-natured, most talkative brother out of the four-male progeny of Yoo Yeonseok, always ready with a smile or a kind word.

“I looked for you at the banquet yesterday,” Jongdae said. “But I couldn’t find you.”

Kyungsoo shifted the car into drive, checking his mirrors. “I had to leave a bit early. Business,” he lied, hoping that Jongdae would buy it. He had pieced together through morning texts with Yifan that the married couple was also absent from the banquet. “You’ll have to tell me where to go. Yixing only said it is near Bukkhasan.”

“I will. It’s easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for.” Jongdae pushed the button on the car door, the window sliding down a few inches, a cool breeze rushing into the car. “How do you like being back in Seoul?”

“I don’t,” Kyungsoo said firmly. “It’s too complicated here.”

Jongdae burst into laughter. “I suppose that is true,” he chuckled. 

The grass-covered mound sat in the foothills, on an uneven slope that made it hard to identify. Kyungsoo might have thought it was just part of the rough landscape if Jongdae and Yixing hadn’t assured him it was not.

His legs hurt as he climbed the steep terrain. The sun was beginning to set, the sky taking on an orange hue. The grass below his feet was dry, brown in patches from the heatwave that had gripped the city lately. The one thing Kyungsoo took comfort in was that it was peaceful here. Unobtrusive. This place, it fit her. 

Yixing spread the blanket on the grass at the foot of the hill, the three men lining up in the dying daylight to bow deeply to the grave. When Kyungsoo lifted his head, he found himself eye level with the top of the mound. 

_He’s come back, Gaeul._

Jongdae reached over, clapping Kyungsoo on the back. “Come on, we should go before it gets dark.”

Kyungsoo nodded, letting his eyes linger on the grave for a few seconds before he stood and dusted off his pants. It was strange, he considered, that he couldn’t even remember where his parents were buried. Where his grandparents or his little sister who passed on when they were both children lay, presumably in a mound like this, their graves hopefully tended to by descendants Kyungsoo could never know. How much of his life before he was changed was just… gone? And yet they were here, in this place, for something that happened so long ago. 

Kyungsoo sighed, a twinge of guilt settling in. He turned away from the grave slowly and followed after Jongdae, down the steep hillside. 

  
  


They ended up back at Yixing’s apartment, sipping warmed blood out of mismatched mugs. Yixing insisted they put on a movie, some French film he had fallen in love with. A few minutes after it started, he fell asleep, snoring softly. 

Kyungsoo finished his drink, only half paying attention to the film. His mind was full of many things, of things he didn’t want to think about (Chanyeol) and thinks he had to think about (his health). Jongdae, ever perceptive, noticed. 

“What’s on your mind?” he asked as they walked into the kitchen to rinse out their cups. 

Kyungsoo turned on the faucet, passing the mugs under the cold water. He had debated asking Yixing about it, but Jongdae might be a better person.

“Jongdae, I think I might be sick.”

“What?” Jongdae stepped forward, brow furrowing. Kyungsoo grabbed the glass out of his hand and proceeded to rinse it off, not feeling like making eye contact as he admitted something he hadn’t yet vocalized to anyone– living or dead. 

“I.” He swallowed thickly, a lump settling in his throat. “I don’t know what it is, but I’ve ended up in blood lust twice. I’ve even fainted from hunger.”

When he glanced at Jongdae, he was met with a look of concern from the older vampire. 

“It’s– It started after we moved back. Please, please don’t tell Sehun or Yifan about this. I just, I don’t know who to talk to. I don’t know what it could be.” Kyungsoo placed the mug in the drying rack and reached for a nearby dishtowel. 

“Hmmm.” Jongdae looked thoughtful. “I think there is someone who might be able to help you, at least figure out what is going on.” Jongdae reached out, his hand going to Kyungsoo’s shoulder, which he squeezed reassuringly. “I can’t have my brother’s best friend getting sick. Don’t worry, Kyungsoo, we’ll figure out what is going on.”

That. That is why telling Jongdae was the right thing to do. Kyungsoo could almost believe him. “Thank you, your highness.”

“Oh, cut the _your highness_ stuff with me,” Jongdae snarked. “You only say that when you want something.”

“That’s not true!” Kyungsoo protested, earning a loud, lilting laugh from Jongdae. 

Perhaps, Kyungsoo realized, there were some good things about being back in Seoul after all. 

⁂

“I don’t eat carbohydrates before noon.” Junmyeon frowned at the donut.

“Sounds boring,” Sehun said, taking a massive bite out of the chocolate sprinkled monstrosity. A glob of frosting stuck to the corner of his mouth. 

Junmyeon glanced at his watch. It was a little after seven in the morning. Usually, he would be getting ready for his day, mentally reciting his schedule while he tied his tie and picked out his suit coat. Instead, he was standing in Oh Sehun’s kitchen, wearing a black t-shirt that was too long on him, only a couple inches of his boxer shorts peeking out under the hem. 

He had taken the day off on the assumption he would be otherwise occupied, which wouldn’t be the case. It seemed surreal that he had gotten married the night before, that less than twenty-four hours had passed since he was dressed in traditional wedding attire, speaking vows he didn’t believe in. Junmyeon itched to go back to work. Now that he had a claiming mark on his neck, he was eager to test out his theory that it would work just as well as a mark delivered by a lycan. 

“Relax. Have some tea,” Sehun said, gesturing towards the tea caddy sitting next to the stove. 

_Tea_. He didn’t want tea. “No, thank you. I think I’m going to go home.” He could probably log in from his home office and get some things done, maybe go into the office later. 

Sehun stared at him, donut still in hand. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Well, I do,” Junmyeon countered. He set his mouth in a thin line. 

Sehun set the donut down on the napkin in front of him, crossing his arms and fixing Junmyeon with a solemn stare. “You want this to be over as soon as possible, right?” 

Junmyeon nodded, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. He had a feeling he knew what Sehun was hinting at and... and… He had somehow managed to pass out the night before, a few blissful hours in which he could forget that he had slept with the vampire in front of him. Now that he was awake, the memory repulsed him. Warmth crept into his cheeks as he recalled the feeling of Sehun inside of him. 

“Then you need to get pregnant as soon as possible. That isn’t going to happen if you leave after we’ve only done it one time.” 

It was irritating that Sehun didn’t show a hint of what he was feeling or thinking as he said the words. Junmyeon could tell if he was saying it because he was as frustrated by the situation as Junmyeon was or if he just wanted to get under the lycan’s skin. 

“It would be a good idea if you temporarily moved here until you’re pregnant,” Sehun said. 

“No. Absolutely not.” Junmyeon turned, not wanting to further the discussion. “I’m going home. I’ll call you later.”

As he stalked back to the guest bedroom where he had spent the night, he expected Sehun might follow him. Might try to argue, to insist he stay at the apartment. When he didn’t, Junmyeon felt a mixture of relief and something he didn’t want to put a description to. 

Good. He could leave, go home, and change and then go into work. Perfect. Lovely. Just what he wanted. He grabbed his discarded clothing and headed for the en-suite bathroom. 

Junmyeon leaned against his kitchen counter, a tub of Greek yogurt in front of him. He zoned out, staring at the brown tiled floor. His plan was to shove his face with some food and then plod into his home office to catch up on things. Once rush hour traffic had subsided, he would head into the office, more than ready to get back to working at the headquarters building. 

In the meantime, his mind wandered, replaying the events of the preceding day. He had fallen into a heat, which wasn’t entirely unexpected given the fact Sehun had bitten him in the same place a claiming bite would go. He could still feel the sting on his neck where the wound was. He had thrown a bandage over the mark after he took a shower, spotting it in the mirror, noting how ugly it looked. 

What he couldn’t understand is why his heat broke after he came only once. Heats were never that short, even with an alpha. Very rarely, of course, there could be an exception, especially if it was a mated pair but with a vampire? It made no sense. Junmyeon shoveled another spoonful of yogurt in his mouth. Something was strange about it, about the way his body was reacting. It had to be the medication he was taking, the fertility pills that he had to ingest. It was the only thing that made sense to him.

But did it explain the way his body had reacted, the way his emotions went into overdrive? Could the medication do that as well?

Junmyeon had just finished the last spoonful of yogurt when his phone rang. It was Chanyeol.

“Wait, why are you answering your phone?” Chanyeol said the moment Junmyeon answered. 

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Oh. Uh, well you just got married and–”

“You sound like shit,” Junmyeon said, surprised at how gravelly Chanyeol’s voice was. 

“Yeah, I’m sick. I won’t be in today, but Baekhyun said he can cover everything.”

“How much did you drink last night?” Junmyeon asked. “You shouldn’t have overdone it at the banquet.”

“I didn’t drink. It’s nothing like that,” Chanyeol swore. 

“You don’t usually get sick.” Junmyeon couldn’t remember the last time Chanyeol came down with anything. He was usually extremely healthy, avoiding even the seasonal colds that inevitably circulated around the office. 

“I’ll be in tomorrow. Call me if you need anything.” _Click._

Junmyeon glared down at his phone. Had Chanyeol hung up on him?

Junmyeon cracked his knuckles, a smug smile of satisfaction accompanying the action. He took a deep breath, smiling widely. He was back. In the office, _his office_ , where he belonged. He had waltzed into the building with an easy step, saying hello to the security officer, the receptionist, and every employee he came across. He even whistled when he left the elevator and walked the sixty-three steps to his office, his dress shoes clicking against the polished stone floor. 

He was back, a convenient mark on his neck eradicating the reason he had stayed away for the last few weeks. He was in a great mood, considering he had just gone through with– with–

“CEO Kim, we need to talk to you!” The door to Junmyeon’s office opened so hard that it cracked against the wall then bounced back, a dainty, manicured hand catching it before it smacked the newcomer in the face. 

Junmyeon startled and was half sitting-half standing when the alphas started to file into his office. Bae Joohyun was first, small in stature but with a presence that could scare even the most hardened omega, her long hair tied up in a loose bun. Behind her was Son Seungwan, her mouth set in a tight line, making Junmyeon instantly nervous. She was usually so smiley. Next was Kang Seulgi, who looked as pissed off as Junmyeon suspected Seungwan was. By the time the two youngest members of the group, Park Sooyoung and Kim Yerim, marched in, Junmyeon was nursing a heavy dose of fear. Red Velvet was the agency’s top girl group, and their happiness was significant for multiple reasons. They also happened to be a group of hardened alphas.

“Baekhyun canceled our last week of promotions,” Joohyun said, leveling the CEO with a stern gaze. “Director Byun gave no reason when we asked.”

Seulgi stepped forward, her arms crossed against her chest. Everything about her screamed alpha, power seeming to radiate from her. “We were supposed to have a fan signing and a television appearance.”

Junmyeon knew he needed to calm them down. “I’m sure there is a very reasonable explanation for the cancel–”

“This is the second time this has happened.” Sooyoung stepped forward. “Our contract renewal period is coming up, CEO Kim.”

Junmyeon was about to respond when he noticed at least one of them was sending off potent alpha pheromones. It wasn’t surprising given how upset they were; it was almost certainly an unintentional thing. He could smell it, the aggressive nature in the scent. Usually, he would feel a bubble of fear and discomfort at the smell, an instinctual omega reaction to a pissed off alpha, but oddly enough, he felt… _nothing_. He could tell it was there, but physically it had no effect. 

Junmyeon clapped his hand to his neck, realization settling in. It had worked. The claiming mark had worked. He laughed at the absurdity– that a vampire could bite him and have the same effect as if he had mated with an alpha. 

“This isn’t funny,” Yerim growled, narrowing her eyes at the CEO.

Junmyeon instantly sobered. _Shit_. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me. I don’t think the situation is humorous. As you know, you’re our pride and joy here at Wolf Entertainment. Personally, I think you’re the most talented female ensemble in the industry.” Junmyeon clasped his hands together. “I will follow up with Director Byun, and we’ll figure this out. I’ll make sure to contact your manager as soon as there is a resolution to this issue.”

Joohyun snorted, not looking convinced. “We’ll look forward to your call, CEO.”

The alphas turned, following Joohyun from the office in a single file line. 

“Remember, WE are one!” Junmyeon shouted after them as they went, earning a loud groan from the group.

It was almost nine in the evening when Junmyeon arrived home, lugging his laptop back with him to get a few more things done before he could turn in for the night. He had missed having Chanyeol around during the day, keeping track of his schedule, and relaying information to the various departments. Regardless of Chanyeol’s absence, it was nice to be back in the office. 

Junmyeon was still loosening his tie when his doorbell rang. He padded towards the door, his bare feet sinking into the plush carpeting as he walked. He had put in an order for food delivery on his way home. Assuming it was the delivery man, he threw open the door without checking who it was. 

“Hello, dear,” Sehun drawled. He was dressed casually, in a grey t-shirt and jeans, a baseball cap on his head. He had his hands in his pockets, his expression blank.

Junmyeon blinked up at his husband, taken by surprise. That’s right, he was going to call him, wasn’t he?

“What are you doing here?” Junmyeon asked. 

“You were frustrated today,” Sehun said, not answering the question. “Annoyed. Happy.”

Junmyeon narrowed his eyes at Sehun. “Are you psychoanalyzing me right now?”

“No. Just relaying what I picked up. Can I come in?” 

Junmyeon sighed. He stepped aside, holding the door open. Sehun slipped past him, toeing his shoes off. 

“What did you do today?” Junmyeon asked, heading back to his room. He didn’t really care what Sehun had done; he was just making conversation. 

He also didn’t care that Sehun wasn’t answering him. Junmyeon stopped in front of his dresser mirror, slipping his tie off before carefully hanging it on the tie holder. His finger went to the top button of his dress shirt, pressing the button through the hole. He was starting on the second button when a rush of fear hit him, the sensation so all-encompassing and sudden he gripped the edge of the dresser. 

Panic surged through him, illogical. He looked around the room, his heart thundering in his chest. He was terrified. He was afraid, but of what. Why…

Junmyeon’s body seemed to behave in a way that was utterly inconsiderate of his mind. He rushed from his room, a confusing need to reach Sehun spurring him on. He ran, a blur of motion, not stopping until he found Sehun in the living room, standing on the sofa, eyes wide, gaze directed at the floor. 

“What?!” Junmyeon asked, following where Sehun was looking.

“S-spider,” Sehun yelped, pointing at the floor. 

Junmyeon knelt, noticing the tiny spider near the edge of the sofa. He fumbled for the tissue box on his coffee table, pulling out a tissue and pressing it down on the bug. He stood, rushing it towards the nearest garbage can. 

“It’s gone,” Junmyeon called out as the garbage shut. “I can’t believe you’re scared of spiders.”

“Bugs are disgusting,” Sehun huffed, climbing off Junmyeon’s sofa. 

Junmyeon walked back into the living room, clucking his tongue. He stopped short when it dawned on him. Sehun hadn’t yelled for him, hadn’t said a word. He hadn’t rushed to see him because Sehun asked him to, or made any noise that indicated he was afraid. The fear that had hit him was so overpowering, but it was internal. 

“I felt your fear,” Junmyeon said slowly, staring at Sehun, trying to make sense of it. “Why did I feel your fear?” he demanded, stepping forward, head swimming with what had just happened. 

“The blood link,” Sehun answered simply. “We can feel each other’s emotions now.”

Junmyeon stared at his husband, horrified at the implication. “We what?!” he shouted. “For how long?”

“Forever,” Sehun answered, sinking down into the sofa, crossing his long legs. “You don’t happen to have any blood here, do you? I’m parched.”

Junmyeon clenched his hands into fists. “I’m going to kill you,” he seethed. 


	11. Chapter 9

Vampires were, at a high level, dead bodies who were being kept from rotting. Dead tissue that was being pumped full of nutrients so the skin wouldn’t get too cold, the veins wouldn’t collapse, the complex system that is the human body wouldn’t cease to operate. Vampires were like coin-operated machines, only useful if some hapless soul was plunking tokens into them at precisely the right time, so the momentum never ceased.

And Kyungsoo's metaphorical machine seemed to be running low on tokens of late. He took a measure of comfort in how confident Jongdae seemed about finding some answers to what was plaguing him. Soon, Kyungsoo hoped, he might be able to uncover the issue and summarily fix it.

In the meantime, he was nervous, on edge that he might collapse in front of the wrong human, vampire, or God forbid—lycan.

Oh Sehun's sudden increase in unpredictability wasn’t helping matters. Kyungsoo felt like he was doing the work of three people since Sehun's behavior was worse than if he had simply been absent. He was making a mess of things, and Kyungsoo was left to clean it up.

“Why don’t you go home?” Kyungsoo finally suggested after Sehun had spent the morning enraging the marketing manager by booking over a conference call with the headquarters back in Beijing and almost doing away with a much-needed advertising deal for Lu Han because he didn’t like the tone of an email.

Sehun, fingers flying over the keyboard, didn’t look at his assistant as he shook his head no. “Too much to do.”

Kyungsoo crossed his arms against his chest and stared down at the man he’d spent the last three centuries with. He watched as suddenly Sehun pressed the keyboard roughly away, swearing violently under his breath.

“I have no idea what you did with Oh Sehun, but I need him back,” Kyungsoo said, half-joking. Sehun had always been chaotic in temperament… but not to this degree.

Sehun gently moves the keyboard back. “I’m fine.”

“I doubt that,” Kyungsoo quipped.

“I said I’m fine,” Sehun said through gritted teeth. 

It had been three days since the wedding. Kyungsoo had been shocked to see Sehun back with only one day off, primarily because he had heard through the grapevine that Kim Junmyeon’s heat had been triggered the evening of the ceremony. 

Lycans were nothing but trouble, Kyungsoo decided. Sehun was obviously dealing with his own turmoil, and Kyungsoo, well…

“Will you be at the one o’clock meeting with Lu Han?” Kyungsoo asked.

“You don’t need me there,” Sehun answered, sounding every bit annoyed that Kyungsoo had asked the question.

Lu Han, known to his fans far and wide as Luhan or Xiao Lu or some variation of the name, had a face and voice meant for fame. He was attractive but not in an intimidating way. Charismatic. Soft-spoken off stage, with a dynamic presence on stage. The first time Kyungsoo had met him back in Beijing, when Lu Han was still a trainee, he had sensed that he would make big waves–– assuming VIVI Entertainment kept him signed. 

They had managed to do just that, securing him with a ten-year contract that only occasionally ended up with Lu Han contesting some clause of it, usually in response to Sehun driving their top star a little too hard. Kyungsoo often ran interference, keeping Sehun and Yifan from overworking their star while also making sure Lu Han held up his end of the bargain. And then came Korea.

Lu Han’s debut in Korea had been a contract addendum. Kyungsoo had sat through a brutal week of rewrites, hoping that Sehun and Lu Han (and his family’s high-priced lawyer) could come to an agreement. When the contact was finally signed, Kyungsoo found himself feeling only marginally relieved. He had a feeling that _something_ would come up with Lu Han’s Korean debut; it was the nature of the beast.

The nature of the beast greeted Kyungsoo that afternoon at one o’clock, his lawyer (freshly arrived from Beijing) in tow. The manager that followed Lu Han everywhere was present as well, an affable human named Chen He that Kyungsoo had always gotten along well with. 

Lu Han was dressed in white leather pants with sequins, a leftover from filming he had that morning. He was sipping from a giant iced coffee, the cup bigger than his hand. Kyungsoo made a mental note to ask Chen He if Lu Han had been eating and sleeping well. 

They met in one of the small conference rooms in the office building VIVI was renting, the chairs stiff and uncomfortable, cheesy motivational posters framed upon the walls. 

“I want a week off,” Lu Han blurted out the moment Kyungsoo was seated. 

Kyungsoo clasped his hands politely in his lap, fixing Lu Han with an indifferent stare. “And why is that?”

“I’ve been working twenty-hour days since we got here. The album’s already dropped, and sales are good. I need to recharge,” Lu Han rambled, ending with a slurp from his coffee.

Kyungsoo glanced at Chen He, the manager giving him a wide-eyed, slightly panicked look. 

“We are still in the promotional period for your album. This is a new market, Lu Han,” Kyungsoo said gently. He was thankful Sehun wasn’t in attendance; he had no doubt that he probably would scream at Lu Han the moment the star asked for a day off. “Your album sold well, but it wouldn’t take much for it to fall from the charts.”

Lu Han’s lawyer cleared his throat. “My client has a right to his health and wellness, Mr. Do.”

“I’m very aware of that, which is why I think a day off, paid at a negotiated rate, is warranted. We can also work out shortened hours for a few days,” Kyungsoo said in a confident voice. “I am afraid, however, that a full seven days off is impossible.”

“This is bullshit,” Lu Han hissed. He looked at his lawyer. “What can we do?”

Kyungsoo made his final offer before the lawyer could counter. “Lu Han, we are very aware and grateful for the sacrifices you have been making. I’ve heard you’ve made some new friends here in Jo– Korea.” Kyungsoo swallowed away the awkwardness of fumbling the name of the country. “Two days off and the use of a rented vacation home should help you to maintain these new relationships while also fulfilling your contract with VIVI.”

That was it; that was the most he would do. He had heard that Lu Han was having a fling with someone he met in Korea. He didn’t know who, nor did he care as long as the star kept everything under wraps. Lu Han had been in relationships in the past. He had always been careful, but there was a first for everything. Kyungsoo had a feeling that Lu Han’s demands were entirely related to that relationship. Lu Han was someone who fell deep and hard, to the point he would act irrationally if his interest was suddenly fixated on a person. 

“I’m not going to answer my phone for two days,” Lu Han said. 

“Deal.” Kyungsoo waited, knowing he had won the moment Lu Han responded the way he had. 

With one last glance at his lawyer, Lu Han took the offer. “Deal.”

Kyungsoo smiled. At least something was going right for him. 

Lu Han held out his hand, Kyungsoo moving to shake it. It was a painful shake, Kyungsoo pulling his hand back a second later when he felt a prick of pain shoot over the back of his hand. 

“Oh my god, did my ring cut you?” Lu Han looked mortified. He always wore a garish looking ring that was some kind of family heirloom, gold fashioned into a winding snake replete with little green stones for eyes. It was something he had fought with Sehun and Yifan about early on in his career when he insisted on wearing it on stage no matter how ugly Sehun said it was. 

“It’s fine.” Kyungsoo had a scrape on his hand, but it indeed was nothing. 

Lu Han muttered apologies, instantly going from the spoiled celebrity to the kid that Kyungsoo remembered training so hard back in Beijing. Under the ego that fame built, he was still the same. It made Kyungsoo feel a burst of affection, a rare time he felt that way about a human. 

The symptoms he had learned to dread started later that afternoon and seemed to increase with every hour that passed. By the time seven o’clock rolled around, Kyungsoo felt nauseous and faint. He had slammed a pouch of A positive that he stowed away in the fridge inside Sehun’s office, but that had only made him feel better for a few fleeting moments.

Kyungsoo stared down at his phone, chewing his bottom lip as his mind wandered where it should not.

When he drank from the lycan, he felt good. Recovered. 

If he just called Chanyeol, said he was sorry, then– _no_. No, he couldn’t do that. It would be insane. Horrible. He shouldn’t even be considering it. 

Kyungsoo shoved his phone across his desk and returned to his work, closing his eyes periodically when the dizziness became too much for him. 

The text message arrived a few minutes later.

_We need to talk._

Kyungsoo’s wavering resolve crumbled. 

_Sure. Tell me where to meet you._

  
  


Do Kyungsoo wasn’t happy to be back in front of Park Chanyeol’s door, but the alternative would be far worse. Chanyeol asked if he could come to Kyungsoo’s apartment, which at the moment consisted of a rented flat near where Sehun was staying. Kyungsoo was having a hard time adjusting to the space as it was; bringing a lycan home wasn’t a complication he wanted or needed. 

Chanyeol answered the door in a grey sweatshirt, impossibly long on someone so tall. He was wearing jeans, his dark hair a mess. He smiled brightly at Kyungsoo, a sight that made the vampire feel slightly disoriented. 

“Hello,” Kyungsoo said, deciding it was safer to look past Chanyeol than at him. 

“Hello,” Chanyeol returned the greeting. He stepped back, retreating into his apartment, gesturing for Kyungsoo to follow him. 

Kyungsoo took a deep breath and stepped inside. If he wasn’t feeling so out of sorts, he wouldn’t be here, he reminded himself. He wouldn’t be so reckless, so stupid. _Jongdae will find out what’s wrong with me, and this will be over soon_ , he thought. Temporary. _All temporary_. 

“I wasn’t sure that you’d show up,” Chanyeol said. He took a seat on his sofa, grabbing a throw pillow from beside him and putting it on his lap. 

Kyungsoo didn’t respond. Why did the apartment have to smell so much like Chanyeol? Why, why, why was that a surprise? Of course, it smelled like him. He lived there. 

_I’m losing my mind._

“What did you want to talk about?” Kyungsoo asked, taking the chair furthest away from the lycan. Maybe if he held his breath… It wasn’t like he had to breath anyway; it was all just a pantomime, the body continuing the rhythm it had memorized when it was alive. 

“Gee, I wonder,” Chanyeol said, a sarcastic edge to his voice.

Kyungsoo didn’t like it. He frowned. 

“We had sex; you drank my blood. I am fairly sure my body did something weird from your bite, but I don’t even know what because I don’t think telling anyone I fucked a vampire is a good idea,” Chanyeol rambled off. “A vampire who thinks it was a one-time thing, no less. Not to mention whatever is going on with your health. Are you still fainting?” 

Kyungsoo could sense how angry Chanyeol was, could tell he was annoyed. He wasn’t always the best when it came to reading people, but it was more than apparent that the alpha was pissed off. He wouldn’t have cared if he wasn’t so hungry. An angry lycan was nothing to him, but an angry lycan that might solve his current problem, well, that was different.

“It doesn’t have to be a one-time thing,” Kyungsoo said softly. Somewhere in the back of his mind, there was a sense of danger, of warning, but he pushed it away. Something telling him that this was one mistake too many, but he wasn’t going to listen. He was hungry, he was faint, and Chanyeol’s blood made him feel sated unlike anything else could. 

Chanyeol snorted. “Oh, so now you want to do it again? Are you sick?”

“No, I’m fine. And, yes, I want to do it again,” Kyungsoo lied. He _would_ be fine once he drank Chanyeol’s blood. 

“Are you going to run away the second we’re done?” Chanyeol asked. Kyungsoo could tell his resolve was nonexistent. He didn’t want to say no.

“No,” Kyungsoo said. He would have to stick around this time, spend some time with him. It would be a small price to pay, Kyungsoo decided. 

Chanyeol was quiet, spending a few passing seconds staring off like he was mentally weighing the risks. “Fine, but don’t drink too much.”

Kyungsoo felt his heart leap in his chest. _He said yes_. “Understood.”

Chanyeol swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Kyungsoo was acutely aware of the action; his eyes had gone to Chanyeol’s neck as soon as he agreed to it. 

“Come here,” Chanyeol said, his voice low. He patted his lap, which was all the invitation Kyungsoo needed. 

He stood, shucking off his suit coat, folding it neatly and leaving it on the chair. 

“Are you going to fold your socks too?” Chanyeol teased.

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo shot back. 

Kyungsoo approached, hand going to unbutton his shirt. He managed to undo one button before he straddled Chanyeol’s lap, the fabric of his dress pants pulled taut as he slid his thighs over Chanyeol’s lap. His ass was perched on Chanyeol’s dick; he could feel through the fabric that the lycan was already getting hard.

Chanyeol swallowed again, his eyes dark. Kyungsoo cupped Chanyeol’s cheek. When he touched him, Chanyeol let out a shuddering breath, leaning into the touch. 

“You’re so warm,” Kyungsoo said, the heat radiating to his fingertips. Chanyeol’s skin was smooth as he traced a line to his jaw, then lower, his fingers sliding against Chanyeol’s skin until he stopped with his hand on Chanyeol’s nape. 

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol whispered, sucking in a breath. 

Kyungsoo leaned in, attaching his mouth to Chanyeol’s neck. His teeth pierced skin a second later, the flow of hot, thick blood flowing into his mouth within moments. Kyungsoo rolled his hips, ass grinding against Chanyeol’s hard cock, earning a low moan from the man. 

Chanyeol’s hands went to Kyungsoo’s waist, gripping him there as he drank greedily. Why was Chanyeol’s blood so sweet? Why was it so delicious, so satiating? It drove Kyungsoo into a frenzy, his world becoming nothing but a haze, a fog, with the only clear glimpse of reality earned from tasting Chanyeol’s blood, from letting it slide hot and thick over his tongue. 

Chanyeol moved his hips up, dick pressing against Kyungsoo’s ass. Kyungsoo responded by pushing his tongue roughly against the puncture marks, applying a second of pressure before lapping along the skin. 

Arousal danced along Kyungsoo’s nerve endings, his body crying out for more. From there, it was inevitable, the way they acted like they were starved, hands roving, and insistent. 

Kyungsoo let out a low, throaty moan when Chanyeol pulled his shirt open, a button flying off onto the sofa. He let his head rest for a moment against Chanyeol’s shoulder before he went back to lapping up the blood that trickled from his neck. 

Chanyeol smoothed his thumbs over Kyungsoo’s nipples, tweaking the buds and earning another moan from Kyungsoo, this time one that vibrated against his neck. 

Kyungsoo moved his hips, teasing along Chanyeol’s erection.

“Hold on,” Chanyeol said.

Before Kyungsoo could question him, Chanyeol stood up, Kyungsoo clinging to his neck, his legs wrapping around Chanyeol’s waist. He let out a noise of surprise, a puff of hot breath as he held on. Chanyeol’s hands cupped Kyungsoo’s ass, squeezing. 

The journey to the bedroom was a mess, Kyungsoo kissing along Chanyeol’s jaw before sucking his bottom lip into his mouth. Chanyeol responded by nipping at Kyungsoo’s lips, his teeth sliding over the plump flesh. They licked into each other’s mouths, teeth grazing tongue.

When they finally made it to the bed, Chanyeol put Kyungsoo down, their lips still pressed together as he tried to break the kiss. 

Kyungsoo chased Chanyeol’s mouth for a split second after the kiss ended, wanting more, addicted to the taste. He sucked in a breath, saliva wet on his lips, his dick pressing hard against his trousers. 

Chanyeol pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor before going to work on his pants. Kyungsoo followed, his fingers undoing the button of his pants. He lifted his hips from the bed, tugging the fabric down his thighs until he was able to kick it off. 

Kyungsoo’s dick was hard, pre-cum wetting the head. He pumped it once, twice, spreading his legs invitingly. He knew there was blood smeared on his lips; his nipples stood erect. He felt vulnerable, laid out, and incredibly turned on.

“Come on,” he hissed. 

Chanyeol stood at the side of the bed, looking at Kyungsoo with what he might call fondness if he wasn’t so sure that was impossible. Attraction. Appreciation. Whatever it was, it was making Kyungsoo impatient. 

“You’re gorgeous,” Chanyeol said, devouring Kyungsoo’s naked body with his eyes.

“Too much talking,” Kyungsoo huffed, letting his legs fall further apart. It did the trick, Chanyeol climbing on the bed, settling himself between Kyungsoo’s plump thighs. 

Kyungsoo tensed in anticipation, twitching the second Chanyeol pressed his lips to the inside of his thigh. 

Chanyeol sucked and kissed, lips moving against Kyungsoo’s skin until he was close enough to nuzzle into the pink, puckered flesh of Kyungsoo’s hole. 

Kyungsoo moaned when Chanyeol’s tongue pressed against his hole, teasing along the rim. He hadn’t been expecting _that._

Chanyeol was skilled with his tongue, lapping along Kyungsoo’s entrance while his finger traced his perineum. 

Kyungsoo curled his toes, arching off the mattress as he lost himself to the sensation of being eaten out. When Chanyeol fingered along his entrance, then darted his tongue in, Kyungsoo keened. From there, it was a slow drag of Chanyeol’s tongue, fucking into him, his hole clenching, wanting more. 

Time seemed to slow, Kyungsoo’s headspace filled with the slide of Chanyeol’s tongue, with his scent, with the taste of his blood, still sweet on his tongue. When Chanyeol inserted a finger alongside his tongue, Kyungsoo cried out, breath stuttering, pre-cum dribbling from the head of his cock. 

“Enough,” Kyungsoo rasped. “Fuck me.”

Chanyeol didn’t listen, kept coring into him, fingers sliding against Kyungsoo’s walls. He didn’t listen until Kyungsoo was kicking his back lightly, whining in frustration. 

When Chanyeol moved away, Kyungsoo’s hole clenched around air, wanting something to fill him. 

“I should finger you,” Chanyeol husked, moving to get something out of his nightstand. 

“No,” Kyungsoo huffed. “I’m fine. I’m not human, remember.”

Chanyeol retrieved the lubricant, anyway, unclicking the bottle and pouring some on his hand. 

“I said I’m fine,” Kyungsoo said, impatient. 

“For me.” Chanyeol smoothed the lubricant along his dick, pumping the length once then twice. 

Kyungsoo watched, teeth pressing into his bottom lip. Chanyeol really was well endowed. If he had to end up having sex with a lycan, at least it was one that was big where it counted. 

Chanyeol moved between Kyungsoo’s thighs, one hand pressing against Kyungsoo’s hip, the other lining his cock up with Kyungsoo’s twitching hole. 

He seated himself with one smooth thrust of his hips, Kyungsoo sucking him in. They moaned in tandem once Chanyeol was fully seated. When he moved his hips back, Kyungsoo pressed forward, not enjoying the momentary emptiness any more than Chanyeol did. But the friction, the movement was fire, white-hot heat exploding from Kyungsoo’s core as Chanyeol fucked him open. 

Chanyeol’s scent seemed stronger, dizzying. Kyungsoo felt like he was lost at sea, adrift, his only salvation the feeling of Chanyeol’s hands on his body, the sensation of his lips and teeth and tongue moving against his neck, words spoken against slick skin. He felt simultaneously lost but safe, exploring a new world, but one that he somehow knew he had always belonged in. 

Chanyeol whispered words of praise against Kyungsoo’s neck, his hands squeezing, pads of his fingers pressing pink marks into Kyungsoo’s hips and waist. 

The feeling of Chanyeol’s cock pressing deep inside of still wasn’t enough, Kyungsoo hooking his leg around Chanyeol as if to urge him to stay buried inside of him. _Deeper. More._

Kyungsoo’s cock bounced along his abdomen as his breath hitched, Chanyeol pressing Kyungsoo’s legs forward to change the angle. When Chanyeol’s dick pushed into that spot deep inside of Kyungsoo, he keened, clenching down, an explosion of heat carried out from his core. 

Kyungsoo whined, fingers digging into the mattress. So close, he was so close, Chanyeol fucking into him with hard, short thrusts. 

“Come for me, Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol rasped, his brow thick with sweat, his skin dusted with pink. “Come on.”

Again, and again he pounded into him, until Kyungsoo could hold back no more. With one deep thrust, Kyungsoo came, shooting his release on his chest and stomach, his muscles tensing together then releasing, his body spasming through his orgasm.

Kyungsoo clenched around Chanyeol’s dick as he came, Chanyeol crying out as he fucked the vampire through his release. 

“I’m– My knot,” Chanyeol gasped, hips stilling. 

“I can take it,” Kyungsoo shuddered, anticipating the stretch. 

A second later, Chanyeol was pounding into him, the knot catching along Kyungsoo’s rim before being pressed inside. The stretch was mind-numbing, and it still hurt, but differently than it had the first time. Kyungsoo, body oversensitive, felt a searing heat branch out from his core, Chanyeol rocking into him hard. 

A few seconds later, Chanyeol was coming, the knot firmly planted in Kyungsoo, streams of cum shooting into him. The sensation made Kyungsoo climax for a second time, squeezing around Chanyeol as he spent his load deep inside.

Their breathing was ragged, their bodies slicked with sweat and blood. Chanyeol leaned forward like his energy was giving out. He pressed his lips to Kyungsoo’s, the vampire readily darting his tongue out to lick along the seam of the lycan’s lips. 

  
  
  


When Kyungsoo awoke, he felt warm, a heavy weight pressing against him. When he tried to turn over, he heard a groan, memories of the night before cutting through the fog of sleep. Sometime during the night, Chanyeol had thrown his leg over Kyungsoo, his arm resting against the Vampire’s side. Kyungsoo’s back had been pressed into his chest, the alpha’s warmth encircling him.

“Don’t run away,” Chanyeol rasped, pulling Kyungsoo tighter against him.

Kyungsoo sighed. 

“You promised,” Chanyeol whispered, placing a kiss on the top of Kyungsoo’s head.

He had promised, all so he could have a day where he wasn’t bothered by dizziness or pain. Chanyeol was his temporary stopgap, and the price he had to pay for the relief he sought was his time. 

Kyungsoo closed his eyes and let himself drift back to sleep, Chanyeol’s warm skin pressing against him.

Kyungsoo sipped his coffee, eyes wandering to the pictures on the wall; framed posters from artists under Wolf Entertainment, many of them signed. Chanyeol was in the shower, washing away the dried blood that had smeared against his skin. 

Kyungsoo was bored and wanted to leave, but he couldn’t. Not yet. He would humor Chanyeol for a little while longer before taking his leave. Thankfully, it was a Sunday, so he could spend the day at home. Unfortunately, it was a Sunday, so he couldn’t use work as an excuse for why he needed to leave as soon as possible. 

Chanyeol’s apartment was small, cozy. His furniture looked older, unfashionable, but comfortable. Kyungsoo got the sense that it was a space he didn’t spend a ton of time in. There was a distinct lack of clutter– of things that Kyungsoo would expect to see scattered around the apartment of a single lycan. 

Kyungsoo noticed a group of pictures on the wall next to the television. They were in small frames, arranged haphazardly on the wall. He walked over to them, squinting at the small photographs. Chanyeol was in most of them, smiling widely as he appeared next to what Kyungsoo guessed were his family and friends. One picture had to be of his sister; the resemblance was uncanny. A few pictures of Chanyeol as a child, holding a small brown dog, another one of him with what Kyungsoo supposed was a ferret. Animals gravitated towards animals, Kyungsoo thought. Lycans staying true to their nature. 

Lycans were sentimental, like humans. Vampires tended not to be. Kyungsoo couldn’t remember ever hanging up a portrait of himself or of Sehun or any one of the other people they were close to. It confused him if he was honest. 

They have an expiration date, Kyungsoo mused. Humans and lycans were alive; they focused on things like pictures and memories. 

We’re so different, Kyungsoo reminded himself. _So vastly different._

⁂

Junseok sighed. He looked tired, dark circles under his eyes, the sleeves of his button-up shirt rolled up haphazardly. He had already dragged his hand through his hair a handful of times since Junmyeon had arrived at his parent’s home. An air of defeat, of resignation, clung to him. Junmyeon wasn’t used to seeing his older brother like this, more so because he felt like he was responsible for most of Junseok’s recent frustrations.

“I don’t know how it is possible, Junmyeon,” Junseok said for the umpteenth time. “It is likely the body’s response to a change in hormones, much like how a mated pair works with our kind. I don’t want to say I told you so, but I mentioned this before your marriage.”

Junmyeon glared at his brother. “I don’t remember that.”

Junseok shrugged.

“Anyway, it has to be different, Hyung. This isn’t like a mating mark.” Junmyeon shook his head. “This is literally making my mood change. Like right now, I want to slam my fist through that table.”

“Junmyeon, I mean this in the nicest way possible,” Junseok started. “But that sounds more like something you would feel.”

“Hyung,” Junmyeon shouted. Ugh, it was unbearable. Junmyeon crossed his arms against his chest and sunk back in his chair. He was miserable, absolutely miserable, and it was all Oh Sehun’s fault. 

Junmyeon’s mother padded into the room, a tray in her hands. “I made tea if either of you wants some.”

“Thanks, mom,” Junmyeon smiled at his mother, a burst of affection swelling up in him. His mother was probably having a hard time too, he was sure of it. If she hadn’t been attacked years ago, if Yoo Yeonseok hadn’t saved her…. Anger quickly replaced the affection. She was probably dealing with her own guilt. Stupid vampires. _Stupid vampires and their stupid blood links and stupid medication and stupid contracts._

Junmyeon still hadn’t told her about the contract that had been drawn up. She was unaware that he planned to leave Sehun and the potential child as soon as it was born. If she knew, she would only worry more, he thought. 

“My recommendation to you, Junmyeon, is that you spend at least some time every day focusing on your wellness,” Junseok said. “You need to not work yourself into the ground. Meditate, try to spend some time in a peaceful environment. You will be amazed at what it can do for your well-being.”

Junmyeon opened his mouth to argue, to rattle off the reasons he couldn’t afford spending time on something as unproductive as meditation, but he shut it. Junseok would scold him for any excuse he gave, and he knew it.

_I need to get this over with. I need to get off this medication. I need to get away from Oh Sehun. I need to figure out a way to break the blood link._

He needed to execute his contract as quickly as possible, which meant he needed to get pregnant as soon as possible. Junmyeon sprang up from his seat, a new measure of resolve filling him. 

His mother looked at him, wide-eyed. “Is everything okay, dear?”

“I just remembered I– err, I have somewhere I need to be,” Junmyeon lied, muttering a string of apologies. He hugged his mother goodbye and told Junseok thank you before rushing out the door, his mind descending into tunnel vision. 

  
  


Junmyeon hadn’t been… _intimate_ with Sehun since he learned of the blood link. He was too annoyed to even see the vampire, kicking him out of his apartment the evening he learned of the link and ignoring his calls ever since. 

_I must suck it up. Get it over with. Only then will I be free._

The Blood Link, whatever it was, would be something he could focus on getting rid of later. The fact remained that, blood link or not, he had to fulfill his part of the contract before he could divorce Sehun and move on with his life. Before his family could move on with their lives, their debt repaid. 

Junmyeon drove to Sehun’s apartment in silence, his fingers tapping an anxious rhythm on the steering wheel. Traffic was light; it was almost eleven at night when he pulled up in front of the building. Junmyeon alighted the car and strode into the building with his hands clenched into fists, his back straight, eyes focused.

He wrapped his knuckles on the door to Sehun’s apartment, mouth set in a firm line. He had already decided what he would say to the vampire, the words at the tip of his tongue. 

When the door swung open, Junmyeon started rambling off his practiced speech. “I’m still not okay with this blood– oh.” Junmyeon blinked at the woman who stood with her hand on the door, a soft smile on her lips.

She was gorgeous with long, dark hair and delicate features. Junmyeon stared dumbly at her, his face slowly turning red.

“Hello, Junmyeon,” she said. “You must be here to see Prince Sehun.”

“Yes,” Junmyeon said. _Who was she? How did she know his name?_

“He’s in his bedroom,” She explained. “I can go get him for you.”

In his bedroom. With a strange, beautiful woman answering his door for him. Great. Great. Absolutely fucking fantastic. Was this Sehun’s side piece? Wait, could he even have a side piece when they weren’t really involved with each other? Junmyeon snorted, feeling like he was losing his mind. 

“No need. I didn’t realize he was _busy_ ,” Junmyeon said, acid in his words.

“I’m here,” Sehun called out. 

Junmyeon looked beyond the woman to see Sehun padding down the hallway towards the door. He was in pajama pants and not wearing a shirt. Junmyeon gaped for a split second before he turned around. 

“I have to go,” he said, feeling ridiculous and angry and disappointed in himself and–

Sehun caught up with him as he walked towards the elevator. “She’s my sister-in-law,” Sehun rambled. “Princess Meichuo. She’s married to my brother, Yifan.”

“That’s nice,” Junmyeon hissed, pressing the down button on the elevator. “I don’t really care who she is.”

“Yes, you do,” Sehun argued.

“No, I don’t. I could care less who you associate with.” Junmyeon turned to face Sehun. “Our involvement with each other is purely contractual.”

“Then, why are you mad?” Sehun asked. 

The elevator dinged, the doors sliding open. Junmyeon made a move to step on but stopped when he felt _it_. That strange flood of emotions that confused and annoyed him. He was feeling what Sehun was feeling, albeit dulled. Sehun was worried…

Junmyeon closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not moving as the sound of the elevator doors sliding closed sounded.

“I know you’ve been upset,” Sehun said slowly. “I was trying to give you space.”

“Give me space?” Junmyeon’s eyes flew open. He snorted. “Space? I don’t need space. What I need is to get this damn thing over with as soon as possible.”

Sehun smirked. “And how do we do that?” he asked suggestively.

Vampires were evil, vile creatures; Junmyeon was convinced of it. He was suddenly acutely aware of Sehun being shirtless, of the plane of his muscles, of the way his pajama pants hung on his hips. Of what that fabric covered, of how it felt when it was inside of him. He knew his face was heating up, his skin likely red. 

He wouldn’t lose to Sehun, however. Junmyeon wouldn’t crumble. He took a step forward, and with all the boldness he could muster, he put his hand on Sehun’s abs. “I think we both know what we need to do,” he said, hoping he sounded seductive.

Sehun’s sudden laughter crumbled his confidence. Junmyeon pulled his hand back and slammed his finger repeatedly into the elevator button. “I hate you.”

“I want to fuck you,” Sehun said. “Really, really bad.”

Junmyeon gritted his teeth. “You’re annoying.”

“I know.”

“You drive me crazy.”

“I know.”

Junmyeon gritted his teeth. He turned away from the elevator, fixing Sehun with a dark stare. “You have visitors.”

“I can solve that,” Sehun said.

Junmyeon huffed out a breath. “Fine,” he grumbled, slipping past Sehun as he stalked back toward the apartment door.

With the guests presumably told to leave (Junmyeon made a beeline for Sehun’s bedroom, completely uninterested in how Sehun solved his problem), the two fell into bed together. Junmyeon’s memory of their first and only night together had a hazy quality to it, the memory tinged by the fog of his heat. 

There was no such confusion coloring their movements now. Junmyeon found himself surprised at how Sehun kissed, at the way his hands so eagerly explored Junmyeon’s body. He was shocked at his own reaction as well, at the way he rasped, “Off, off” when he became frustrated that the pajama pants hadn’t magically disappeared from Sehun’s body.

It was slow, less rushed than before, and Junmyeon couldn’t figure out if it was better this way or worse. 

_The contract. It is for the contract._

His body liked it, even if his mind might not. When Sehun kissed the mating mark on Junmyeon’s neck, the omega keened, releasing a wave of pheromones. His body recognized Sehun as his mate, even if his conscious mind did not. 

When Sehun began working him open with two fingers, Junmyeon came, embarrassingly fast. He arched off the bed, skin flushed, a broken moan spilling from his lips. He had never come so quickly before, nor had he found himself ready for more so quickly. 

The blood link might have something to do with how unexpected it all was– the way Junmyeon’s body and mind were no longer entirely his own, breaking free of all precedence. No matter if he had found his release, Sehun’s heightening arousal became his own, taming his release, and vice versa. Emotions bleeding into the other person, heightening their pleasure. 

Sehun ate him out, tongue lapping up the slick Junmyeon’s body produced. It was embarrassing, Junmyeon biting the back of his hand as he whined. Sehun didn’t care, however, humming along Junmyeon’s entrance before pushing his tongue past the tight hole. 

Junmyeon was so close to a second orgasm when Sehun pulled away, hand sliding along Junmyeon’s hip.

“What?” Junmyeon asked, blinking up at Sehun.

“Nothing,” Sehun husked, leaning in to press a kiss to Junmyeon’s mouth. 

They kissed lazily until Junmyeon was rutting up, asking for more. 

“Ride me,” Sehun spoke the words against the corner of Junmyeon’s mouth, teeth grazing along Junmyeon’s jaw a second later. 

“I– okay.” Junmyeon was nervous, but he was too aroused to argue. 

Sehun moved to lie flat on his back, his cock hard and leaking. Junmyeon straddled the vampire’s hips, his hand going to the base of Sehun’s dick. He lined himself up, sinking down on Sehun’s cock while holding his breath, adjusting to the stretch. 

Sehun moaned wantonly once Junmyeon was fully seated. “Feel so good,” he gasped.

Junmyeon responded by moving his hips up, then slamming back down, letting himself be filled completely. He cried out, hands going to Sehun’s shoulders to steady himself. He began a bruising pace, pouncing on Sehun’s cock, brow furrowed, bottom lip sucked in, doing his best to find the right angle.

Sehun began to thrust up, moving his hips in time to Junmyeon’s bounces. Junmyeon could feel himself release more slick, the muscles of his core tightening as the heat of pleasure spread through his body. 

“Close,” he rasped, breath stuttering. 

He made the mistake of making eye contact with Sehun, staring once again into those devastatingly dark eyes. It was a repeat of the first time, the way eye contact seemed to intensify every feeling, every shove of Sehun’s hips, every inch of their skin touching.

It was too much, overwhelming Junmyeon. He felt like his body was splintering, his release stronger than any he had experienced before. He came, cum spurting onto his stomach, dribbling onto Oh Sehun’s middle.

Sehun wasn’t far behind him, pushing up and coming with a strangled cry, his fingers gripping Junmyeon’s hips as he released his cum deep inside of him. 

Junmyeon fell forward, his forehead resting against Sehun’s shoulder, feeling boneless. When Sehun kissed the top of his head, he felt… safe. Appreciated. An omega with his mate, the things that had been drilled into his head since he was young. 

_And he didn’t like it. Contract. For the contract._

“I’m hungry,” he muttered, rolling off Sehun a moment later. 

Junmyeon picked at the sheet, the cool fabric sliding between his fingers. He was tired, and his muscles hurt. Sehun was lying next to him, sprawled out on the large bed. Sehun had turned on the television as they ate, a break in their activities after Junmyeon expressed his hunger.

Sehun had returned with rice and a warm pouch of blood, handing one to Junmyeon before stabbing the bag with a straw. Junmyeon shoveled rice into his mouth, setting the bowl on the nightstand when he was done. He settled back into bed, pulling the sheet up over his chest, feeling sated and worn out. He should be going home, but… the more they slept together, the greater the chances were it would all be over soon. 

The television drama looked boring; Junmyeon usually didn’t watch sageuks; they were too long, too political. He preferred modern rom coms—something light and breezy that didn’t punish you if you missed an episode or five.

“Wait, how old are you?” Junmyeon asked quietly, the thought suddenly entering his mind as he watched the fictional king interact with his consort. Had Sehun lived through the era that was rendered on his television screen?

Sehun yawned before answering, his face contorting in an ugly way. “You honestly want to know?”

“Yeah,” Junmyeon said, his tone low.

“I was born in the second year of Chongzhen.”

Junmyeon pouted. Wait, what did that translate to... He reached for his phone on the nightstand, Sehun ignoring him as he searched the name. He knew the name was a Chinese emperor, but he couldn’t remember when he ruled. 

“You’re almost four hundred years old!” Junmyeon blurted out, nearly dropping his phone when the search results were returned.

“Is that how long it’s been?” Sehun drawled, glancing at Junmyeon.

“Do you know how big our age difference is?” Junmyeon sputtered. “Think of what people online would say. The power imbalance…”

Sehun laughed. “People online aren’t going to care about you and me. Now come here.” He held his arms out, beckoning Junmyeon closer.

Junmyeon gripped his phone for a moment, looking at Sehun warily. I need to suck it up. _Once I’m pregnant, I will never have to sleep with him again._

“Fine, but this will be the last time tonight. I’m tired.”

“Sure,” Sehun promised, his lips quirking into a smirk that made Junmyeon not entirely trust him. 

Trust or not, Junmyeon set his phone down and scooted closer, his dick already hardening in anticipation of what was to come. 


	12. Chapter 10

“Kyungsoo-ah, do you like the rain?”

Kyungsoo looked up from his phone, eyes readjusting after staring at the screen for the last hour. “What?” He was sitting in the large, overfilled chair in Chanyeol’s living room, the scent of the alpha lycan hugging the cushions.

Park Chanyeol stood near the entrance to his living room. He had changed his clothes. Gone were the pajamas he had been wearing when they woke up; in their place were slim jeans and a long red sweatshirt with the logo of a sports team Kyungsoo didn’t recognize. Seriously, Kyungsoo had to wonder how someone so tall found such baggy clothing. 

“The rain,” Chanyeol repeated. “Do you like it?”

“Does it matter if I do? Isn’t it something we just have to accept?” Kyungsoo answered, not understanding how that could even be a question. He was starting to get used to being asked such frivolous things. Chanyeol seemed full of nonsensical conversation. 

“Would you like to go for a walk with me?” Chanyeol produced an umbrella from behind his back, a red and yellow contraption that was too bright for Kyungsoo’s liking. 

Kyungsoo frowned. “Why?”

Chanyeol sighed. “Because it is Sunday morning, and neither of us has to work. And I want to spend some time with you. Time outside of the bedroom.”

Kyungsoo felt heat creep into his cheeks at the word  _ bedroom _ . He had spent an inordinate amount of time in Park Chanyeol’s bedroom of late, finding himself standing outside Chanyeol’s apartment door more nights than not. 

“I guess we could.”

Chanyeol broke into a wide smile the moment Kyungsoo agreed. Kyungsoo felt a tug in his chest at the sight, a feeling he wasn’t about to put a name to. 

  
  


Fields of silver grass, yellow and brown from the summer sun, stretched out towards the horizon. The rain had slowed though not stopped; puddles scattered along the meandering walking path. The sky was grey, low clouds hanging, looking ready to burst forth with another torrential downpour. 

Chanyeol held the tacky umbrella up high, the width enough to cover both himself and Kyungsoo. The rain dripped off the metal umbrella rim in fat droplets as they walked. 

Kyungsoo had to admit the fresh air was… nice. He sucked in a breath, eyes trained on the path ahead. He was feeling more robust, less lightheaded. After almost a week of drinking from Chanyeol, his health seemed to be almost fully restored. 

_ My medicine _ , he thought, glancing up at Chanyeol. 

“Did you watch the World Cup?” Chanyeol asked.

Kyungsoo blinked. 

“Ah, right. I should specify which one. The one in two thousand two.”

“No. I’m not much for sports.” Kyungsoo shoved his hands in his pockets.

“This park was built to commemorate it, that’s why I brought it up.” Chanyeol gently nudged Kyungsoo’s shoulder with his arm. “In case you wanted to know the history.”

Kyungsoo looked up at Chanyeol, a lump in his throat forming at how bright,  _ how happy _ , he looked doing something so mundane as walking in the rain. The marks Kyungsoo had left on his neck peeked up from the collar of his shirt, flushed pink, the skin slightly raised. Kyungsoo swallowed thickly and looked away.

“Do you want to know the history?” Kyungsoo asked quietly, feeling like indulging Chanyeol. 

“Hm?” 

“A long time ago, this was called Orchard Island,” Kyungsoo explained. He had realized it on the drive to the park, the curve of the river dredging up long-forgotten memories. “There were more islands here, all sand. After it flooded, they always seemed to change. But it looks like they filled in the river.” Now there was a highway; the land was taller. The islands had been turned into the high ground; the sandy banks were gone. “The ice merchants used to have their business north of here, close enough to see from the islands. You could pick orchids and see the ice houses.”

“I think that is the most words you’ve ever spoken to me,” Chanyeol teased. 

“Shut up.” Kyungsoo knew he shouldn’t have indulged him. He quickened his pace.

“Hey, hey, I’m sorry.” Chanyeol put a hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “It’s nice to hear you talk. I like your voice. You should do it more often.”

Kyungsoo set his mouth in a tight line, ignoring the bubbling happiness he felt at the compliment.

They walked in silence for a moment before Chanyeol asked, “When was it like that?”

The rain picked up, tapping against the umbrella as it fell. “A long time ago.”

Chanyeol didn’t press him further, at least not about his past. “How have you been feeling?”

“Okay.”

More silence. Kyungsoo found himself stepping closer to Chanyeol as splotches of rain landed on his sleeve. Chanyeol reached his arm out, draping it over Kyungsoo’s shoulders. The vampire considered shrugging it off but decided against it because of the downpour. 

They walked down the winding path, the silver grass moving against the wind and rain. Kyungsoo could admit that it was nice here, pretty even. Begrudgingly he had to accept the time he spent with Chanyeol outside of sex wasn’t all a loss. 

In fact, as Chanyeol peppered him with inane questions about cooking and books and things that meant nothing really, Kyungsoo could almost admit he was having a nice time. 

“I’m going to be working more soon. We have a lot on the production schedule for next month,” Chanyeol said during a break in the conversation. 

Kyungsoo hummed in agreement.

“Feel free to come over whenever you want. I don’t want you to have to wait for me. I might not always have my phone or be able to message you.”

Kyungsoo stilled, causing Chanyeol to stop short, taking a step back so Kyungsoo was sheltered by the umbrella. “What?”

_ What is this? What am I doing? What are we doing? Why would I come to your place when you’re not there? _ “I’ll be busy too,” Kyungsoo said, beginning to walk again. “We might not see each other.”

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol said slowly. He put his arm back over Kyungsoo’s shoulders. It bothered Kyungsoo to no end that the gesture made him feel a sense of affection, of comfortable familiarity. “I know we have a lot of differences––”

“That is an understatement,” Kyungsoo quipped. 

“I know that we aren’t supposed to even be friends, much less this.” Chanyeol nodded between them. “Whatever  _ this _ is. What I’m trying to say is I like you, and I want to see where this goes.”

Kyungsoo guessed that Chanyeol was asking for some kind of answer, some sense of agreement that Kyungsoo felt the same. He wasn’t in any position to push Chanyeol away, not now, not when he was helping Kyungsoo stave off whatever was ailing him. 

“I’m not good with relationships.” It was brutally honest, and it made Kyungsoo feel vulnerable. He hadn’t lied. He had told Chanyeol at least part of the truth. 

“I don’t care about your past,” Chanyeol said firmly.

_ We’re too different. We don’t want the same things. If everything works out, we’ll be gone from Seoul within the year. _ The excuses rattled through Kyungsoo’s brain, one after another, but he didn’t speak them aloud. Instead, he was silent, the only noise the rain against the umbrella and the dip of their shoes as they stepped into puddles. 

“Just promise you’ll still see me,” Chanyeol said quietly, far too quietly for someone who liked to talk. 

Kyungsoo dared to glance over at him, immediately realizing he shouldn’t have. His chest tightened at the way Chanyeol looked so… sincere. 

“I’ll still see you,” Kyungsoo let the words spill from his lips before he could pick them apart, turn around the meaning in his mind and convince himself otherwise. He had selfish motivations, after all. That was the only thing he had to remember. That was the only thing that mattered.

Chanyeol squeezed Kyungsoo closer, his scent suddenly stronger. Kyungsoo held his breath, suddenly very much aware of the man next to him. “Thank you, Kyungsoo. That makes me so happy.” 

  
  
  


The moment Kyungsoo set foot in Sehun’s apartment, he knew he was not going to like what he found. By the time he got to the kitchen, he was seriously considering burning the place to the ground so they could start over. 

“You haven’t cleaned since I moved out,” Kyungsoo said through gritted teeth, taking in the pile of dishes in the sink, the takeout boxes on the counter, and the clothes scattered on the path from the door to the living room (some of which were undoubtedly belonged to Kim Junmyeon). “It’s disgusting in here.”

“Hmm,” Sehun hummed. He was sitting at the long black dining table, his computer in front of him. 

“Is CEO Kim comfortable with this mess?” Kyungsoo asked, picking up a discarded sock by pinching it between the tips of his fingers. 

“Most of this is  _ his _ mess,” Sehun said, giving the first indication he was actually listening to what Kyungsoo said. 

Kyungsoo gaped. He had thought omegas were supposed to be tidy creatures.

“Now, if you’ll please leave, Junmyeon should be here soon,” Sehun said, shutting his laptop closed with a snick. 

Kyungsoo let the sock fall back onto the floor, frowning. Right, he had visited for a reason. “I’ll have a cleaning person sent tomorrow during the day.”

“Great.”

“Anyway, I’m here for a reason.” Kyungsoo pulled out the chair across from Sehun and took a seat. “Yifan called me. There’s an issue with the Crest Contract. Apparently, there’s a clause that Lu Han can’t participate in any programs sponsored by a competitor, which he happened to do last week. They are threatening to sue.”

“So, take care of it,” Sehun said. “Isn’t this an issue for legal?”

“Crest, Sehun,” Kyungsoo said, enunciating slowly. He had found it nothing short of hilarious when they had discovered that the toothpaste company was run by vampires. It was humorous, but from a business perspective made things more complicated. Not only were there the usual contracts and obligations, but there was an entire vampiric social hierarchy at play too. “The CEO is Prince Zitao.”

“Shit,” Sehun swore under his breath. “Shit.”

“He’s mad at Yifan already, and he won’t talk to me. You’ll need to give him a call and smooth things over, or things in Beijing will get messy.” China’s Vampiric Court was known for its dramatics; they rarely, if ever, did anything quietly. Everything was bold and loud, meant to send shockwaves. Zitao happened to be a favorite of his father, the current ruler, which meant his displeasure could have a devastating ripple effect. 

Sehun dragged his hand through his hair. “I’ll call him, but I need you to get the door if Junmyeon shows up.”

“Of course,” Kyungsoo agreed. 

Sehun sighed. He picked up his laptop and started for the stairs. “This may take a while,” he said over his shoulder, sounding beyond annoyed. 

  
  
  


Junmyeon had his arms crossed against his chest. He was dressed in a pink sweater vest and a button-down, with faded jeans rounding out his outfit. He stared at Kyungsoo, his expression was hard to read. His body language, however, was guarded, with his legs crossed, his back straight. 

Was he angry? Annoyed?

“Would you like something to drink?” Kyungsoo asked, trying to fill the silence. Usually, the quiet didn’t bother him, but the negative vibes Junmyeon was throwing his way made him uneasy. 

“How long have you lived with Sehun?” Junmyeon asked. 

Kyungsoo had to do some mental math. “Three hundred and seventy years, plus or minus a few.”

Junmyeon tilted his head to the side and looked at Kyungsoo like he was sizing him up. “That’s a long time.”

“Yes, it is.” Kyungsoo stared back, considering. This was Chanyeol’s boss, his friend. They were no doubt close, very close. And Junmyeon was an omega, a natural fit to Chanyeol’s alpha. Suddenly he wanted to ask a question in turn. “How long have you known Chanyeol?”

“Since he was born,” Junmyeon answered quickly. “Why?”

“Why do you want to know how long I’ve lived with Sehun?” Kyungsoo countered in a calm voice. 

Junmyeon snorted and looked away. “Just making conversation.”

“Stop being jealous,” Sehun said as he descended the steps, the call apparently over. 

“I’m not jealous,” Kyungsoo and Junmyeon answered at the same time, their voices ringing out in unison. At the realization they had spoken in tandem, they stared at each other, eyes wide. 

Sehun’s laughter thundered through the room. 

“I um, I have to be going. I trust the call went well?” Kyungsoo stood up. 

“I think so. He’s not going to sue, at least not tomorrow.” Sehun walked over to Junmyeon, leaning in he placed a kiss on Junmyeon’s cheek. 

Kyungsoo watched, surprised to see the show of affection. He quickly looked away when Junmyeon gave him a dirty look. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow at the office,” Kyungsoo said. “Goodbye, CEO Kim.”

Kyungsoo wasn’t terribly surprised when Junmyeon’s farewell words were mumbled, spoken half-heartedly. 

⁂

Rivulets of warm water ran over Junmyeon’s shoulders, sliding down his back. Steam was heavy in the air. The large gold framed mirror had long since fogged over. Junmyeon didn’t recognize the scent of the soap that lingered in the shower; beyond that it matched what he had smelled against Sehun’s skin. 

Junmyeon pushed his palm against the white and grey marble tiles of the shower wall, the tips of his fingers red from the pressure of his touch. He moaned, mouth falling open, head tilting back, the hot water of the shower sliding against the column of his neck. 

Behind him, Sehun pumped three fingers into his hole, his long digits fitting inside Junmyeon in a way that was both overwhelming and not enough. Slick pooled from Junmyeon’s backside, coating Sehun’s fingers and wetting his thighs. Sehun angled his fingers just right, the pads pressing against Junmyeon’s prostate in deep thrusts. 

“Feels so good,” Junmyeon rasped, his core tightening, the fire inside of him building. He could come like that, Sehun fingering him, his dick untouched. 

Sehun slid his fingers out of Junmyeon, causing the omega to let out a low whine. 

Junmyeon was about to do more, to complain, when Sehun pressed his lips to the juncture of Junmyeon’s neck, to the scar that perfectly fit the shape of his mouth. Even if Junmyeon knew it wasn’t a true claiming bite, his body reacted like it was, his body crying out at how sensitive he was in that place, how the drag of Sehun’s teeth against the scar made him see white. 

When Sehun moved his slick covered fingers to Junmyeon’s mouth, Junmyeon opened readily, sucking along the tips, his slick heaving on his tongue. He moaned around Sehun’s fingers, keening when he felt the press of Sehun’s hard cock against his ass. 

Everything was so sensual, so intense, far more than Junmyeon ever experienced with any past lover. Sex with Sehun had begun to be more than a quick fuck. It had turned into a slow drag, a fire that burnt through multiple rounds before exploding with the break of dawn. And he craved it, craved the slide of Sehun’s cock against his slick coated hole. He craved the thrumming sensation of Sehun’s emotions, his reactions, mixing in with Junmyeon’s own. 

“Please,” Junmyeon rasped, needing to be filled. 

“What do you need,” Sehun spoke the words against Junmyeon’s neck. 

“F-fuck me,” Junmyeon breathed, fingers sliding against the wet tile. 

Sehun entered him with one long thrust, Junmyeon feeling the tip of Sehun’s thick cock against his rim a breath after vocalizing what he wanted. They cried out in tandem, Junmyeon sucking Sehun in, a gush of slick coating his insides. 

Junmyeon tilted his head, not satisfied until Sehun’s lips were pressed against his own, not satisfied until their tongues slid together. They kissed deeply as Sehun pistoned his hips, pulling out only to slam back in, his cock spreading Junmyeon wide. 

Junmyeon moaned into the kiss, body on fire, water running along his skin and darkening his hair. 

When they broke the kiss, Junmyeon let his head fall forward, ass jutting out. Sehun gripped his hips and pounded into him.

“So full,” Junmyeon gasped, the words spilling from his mouth without thought. 

“You like it when I fuck you?” Sehun hissed, dick slamming deep inside of Junmyeon.

“Yes, fuck y–” Junmyeon’s breath hitched at a particularly pointed thrust, Sehun’s dick pushing into his prostate. 

“Come for me, Junmyeon,” Sehun said, thrusting up into Junmyeon’s tight heat. 

Junmyeon cried out as he came, his cum landing on the shower wall, some on his stomach. He tightened, clenching on Sehun’s cock as the vampire fucked him through his release. 

“Going to get you pregnant,” Sehun said, voice gravelly and wrecked. “Going to fuck you so hard you can only think of my dick.”

Junmyeon felt his dick twitch at Sehun’s words, at the images they brought forth in his mind. It was wrong, it was all wrong, but his body was reacting, another spurt of cum shooting from his softening dick. 

A moment later, Sehun came with a loud cry, shooting his release deep inside of Junmyeon. He rocked his hips, not stopping until Junmyeon milked him of every last drop. 

  
  


“Why an entertainment agency?” Junmyeon asked through bites of his sandwich, crumbs falling onto the napkin he had placed gingerly on his lap. 

Sehun had a pouch of blood in his hands, a green twisty straw poked into the top. “Something to do.”

“I always assumed vampires would be happier staying hidden, not managing egotistical humans.”

“I always assumed lycans would be happier howling at the moon, but it looks like I was wrong about that,” Sehun replied. 

“Touché.” Junmyeon took another bite of his sandwich. Really though, he didn’t know much about Oh Sehun’s past– recent past, at least. His distant past was probably lost to time. Or at least better left alone.

“I do it because I like leading people and I want to carry on what my father started,” Junmyeon explained, answering a question no one had asked. “I also think the arts, specifically those in the lycan world, need organization. Even if we can never be fully open about our existence in this human-dominated world, we can still preserve and create beautiful things that humans and lycans alike can appreciate.”

Sehun slurped the last of the blood through his straw, the pouch hissing as it was flattened. “That’s very, um.” Sehun set the pouch down and folded his hands together. “Intellectual of you. Honestly, Yifan, my brother, was bored, and we both like hot people. Celebrities are hot, so we started an agency.”

Junmyeon pursed his lips. 

“I mean, go art!” Sehun pumped his fist up in mock appreciation, causing Junmyeon to laugh. 

“Okay, so we have very different ideas. Confirmed.”

“You’re pretty when you smile,” Sehun said, his eyes bright. 

Junmyeon felt two things simultaneously at the compliment– a sense of embarrassment followed by the feeling of slick leaking from his hole– an aftereffect of being praised by his mate. His body betrayed him yet again. 

“We should go back to bed,” Junmyeon said, voice low. It was better to use his body’s betrayal to further his agenda, which was to not have to sit across from Oh Sehun ever again. 

“We don’t have very different ideas on everything,” Sehun drawled, already making a move to stand. 

Junmyeon felt his dick beginning to harden as he stood, cutting a beeline for Sehun’s bedroom. 

  
  
  


Sehun’s chest rose and fell as soft snores escaped his lips. He looked so uncomplicated while he slept, young even. If Junmyeon didn’t know better, he would think the man beside him was in his early twenties.

Junmyeon sighed, turning over on his side. Another few hours, and he would need to get out of bed, take a shower, and change into the clothing he had tucked into his overnight bag. He was spending most nights at Sehun’s place now, a fact that he tried very hard to justify with his favorite word: contract. 

The little things that had started between them, the pecks on the cheek, the hugs, the joking, the flirtations… he didn’t want to dwell on it. He didn’t want to assign meaning to something that wasn’t meant to last. It was a coping mechanism, Junmyeon told himself, gestures that made the time pass easier until they could say their permanent goodbyes. 

Junmyeon smoothed his hand on his middle, the thought he may already be pregnant entering his mind. Could a lycan really carry the child of a vampire? It had never been done before and to someone with Junmyeon’s limited scientific knowledge seemed highly unlikely. Yet his brother seemed to think there was some possibility there, and Sehun’s family had bet a lot on it working. Omegas were fertile; they were the reason lycans had changed to their current, more human-like state. Generations of interspecies breeding between lycans and humans left their kind more human-like than wolf, their ability to shift back into wolf form long gone as their genetics became diluted with human DNA.

What would the child of a vampire and lycan even be? Vampires were former humans, dead humans that had changed into something else entirely. When they were changed, their genome was shifted, rearranged, in ways Junmyeon didn’t understand. But Sehun had initially been human, and Junmyeon was at least partially human when it came to his genetics. Could their human sides meet? 

Junmyeon frowned. Their kind was different, it was true, but they had one thing in common. They were secrets, hidden among humankind, never to let their true natures known. They were always pushing a part of themselves into the long shadows of their traditions, away from curious eyes. 

Junmyeon reached out, fingers hovering near Sehun’s cheek. He wanted to touch him, to cup his face. 

He pulled his hand back slowly, then turned over, pulling the blanket over his shoulders and closing his eyes. Sleep overtook him a few minutes later. 


	13. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, take 2 chapters today :)))

Jongdae texted Kyungsoo the name and the address; much to Kyungsoo’s surprise, he was already very familiar with the place. 

“Doctor Kim Minseok,” he whispered, staring at the message. 

“Can you handle the meetings tomorrow?” Sehun asked, striding into Kyungsoo’s office without so much as a hello.

Kyungsoo fumbled with this phone, shutting it off and slamming it face down on the desk, being far too obvious that he was trying to hide something. Sehun raised his eyebrow in question. “More secrets?”

“I can handle the meetings,” Kyungsoo said. “Where will you be?”

“Yeonseok wants to review petitions. Now that I’m back, I must attend,” Sehun explained. He leaned on the corner of Kyungsoo’s desk, his hip nudging a stack of neatly arranged papers. “So, what are you hiding?”

“You seem to be in a better mood lately. Does CEO Kim have anything to do with it?” Kyungsoo asked, ignoring Sehun’s question in favor of asking his own. Sehun’s unpredictable mood had started to calm over the last few weeks. He was still chaotic, still inconsistent, but in the way Kyungsoo was long familiar with. 

“We used to know everything about each other.” Sehun sighed. 

“I never knew  _ everything  _ about you,” Kyungsoo countered. “Almost everything, but not everything.”

“True,” Sehun agreed. “But you were always so predictable.”

“I know.” Kyungsoo turned his attention to his laptop, pulling up the calendar for the next day. His afternoon would be packed; he had a conference call with A&R back in Beijing. 

“You know, I could almost swear you smell like a lycan,” Sehun said, laughing when Kyungsoo froze. “It’s okay, Kyungsoo. I do too.”

Kyungsoo swallowed, not daring to look up from the screen. The thought of admitting it out loud, of telling Sehun about Chanyeol… It was terrifying. It made his stomach turn. 

“Keep your secrets. It’s better that way.” Sehun reached over and patted his faithful servant on the shoulder. “I’ll see you at two for our meeting.”

Sehun stalked from the room, leaving Kyungsoo to sink into his seat, his heart thundering in his chest. 

For the second time in his long life, Do Kyungsoo pushed the door open to Doctor Kim Minseok’s shop, the bells on the door clanging loudly as the door slammed shut behind him. The scent of sandalwood was strong, incense sticks burning along the far end of the counter. A moment after stepping inside the shop, Minseok stepped out from behind the thick purple curtain. 

“Hello,” he greeted, smiling brightly. “I was wondering when you would show up.”

Like the first time, Kyungsoo had entered the shop, Dr. Kim brushed past him to flip the  _ open _ sign to  _ closed _ before turning the lock on the door.

Kyungsoo stood awkwardly in the middle of the shop, his hands clasped in front of him. He glanced at one of the plastic buckets near the counter, wondering what the dried brown substance in it may be. A plant? A root?

“Prince Kim Jongdae contacted me, which was a great honor,” Dr. Kim explained as he rounded the counter. He pulled one of the small drawers of the large apothecary chest open, retrieving a pouch from it before opening another and repeating the action. “I had wondered if you were perhaps ailing when you had the incident in my store. Prince Jongdae confirmed that you’ve been falling into blood lusts regularly.”

“Um. Yes, I have.” Kyungsoo shifted on his feet. He felt uncomfortable talking to a human about a vampiric condition. He had to remind himself that if Jongdae trusted the man, then he should too. “How did you come to learn about our kind, Dr. Kim?”

“Hmm?” Minseok turned, three pouches in his hand. He set them down on the counter. “I have seen your condition once, but it has been a few years, and it wasn’t in this country. You are suffering from an exceedingly rare blood-born disorder.”

“What does that mean?” Kyungsoo stepped closer to the counter. “Will I be okay?”

“Your condition is profoundly serious. As I am sure you are aware, most human diseases, even if they are present in the blood, do not affect vampires. Very rarely, however, some can. You are one of those cases.” Minseok began to untie one pouch, his fingers working over the knot. “You are no longer able to absorb the nutrients your body needs to mimic life, which is why you are falling into blood lust.”

“How can you be certain that is what is wrong?” Kyungsoo asked. “Don’t you need to examine me or something?”

Minseok’s fingers stopped. He gave Kyungsoo a terse look. “If you don’t want to follow my instructions, that is your choice.”

Kyungsoo sighed. “What do I need to do?”

“I will mix a medication for you that should help you to absorb more of the blood you ingest. It won’t completely stop the symptoms, but it should lessen them. I am afraid the disease may be long term, though it is difficult to say for certain. The disorder is rare, so there hasn’t been a lot of studies regarding the long-term prognosis. That said, it is a general rule of thumb cases such as these do not have a positive outcome in the long-term.”

“It will kill me  _ for good _ ,” Kyungsoo blurted out. Permanent death. 

“In the long term. But you can manage your symptoms and live a long, productive, undead life before that happens. We shall have to wait and see.” Minseok went to work, opening the second pouch. Kyungsoo glanced at the contents of the first pouch, seeing a thick, mustard-colored salve.

_ I will eventually starve to death.  _ Kyungsoo tried to digest the fact, process what that really meant to him. To cease to be a vampire, to say goodbye to life after all these years. He couldn’t figure out if it made him sad, if he was actually scared, or if the numbness he felt was the raw acceptance that he had no power over his fate. 

“I’ve noticed that, um,” Kyungsoo tried to think how best to say it. “Some blood seems to be more nourishing to me than other blood. Is that related to this disorder?” An image of Chanyeol flashed in his mind, blood trickling down his neck, onto his naked chest. 

Minseok had retrieved a mortar and pestle from under the counter and was busy pouring the contents of the three pouches into the large stone bowl. “Possibly. The disorder is quite rare, which means I can’t say for certainty what all of the symptoms may be.”

“I see.” Kyungsoo watched the doctor mix up the ingredients, the mustard-colored salve mushed into a dry, green plant and a red powder. He chewed his bottom lip, thinking.

“Ingest one teaspoon of this per day, preferably in the morning. It won’t taste good, so you’ll want something to wash it down with.”

Kyungsoo nodded to indicate he understood. He cleared his throat, causing Minseok to look at him. “Doctor, would it be possible if this remained a secret between us? I want to be the one to tell my friends and employer.”

“Of course,” Minseok agreed with a smile. “Doctor-patient confidentiality still applies here.”

Kyungsoo feigned a soft smile in return before turning to pace over to the far wall, zoning out as he stared at the wall of medicinal ingredients. 

What would happen when he died? What would Sehun do… would he be okay? He had spent the last three centuries at his side.  _ He has a husband now _ , Kyungsoo reminded himself. Even if the marriage was arranged, Kyungsoo had a feeling that there was more to it. He could see the change in Sehun in such a short period; he could sense that some of the regret, the worry, the darkness had left him. 

In his opinion, Sehun would never truly be who he was before Gaeul, but this was a start. A measure of healing.  _ He probably doesn’t need me anymore. _ For some reason, that realization stung more than the general idea of his permanent death. He had built his undead existence on Prince Oh Sehun and his family. It was his life; his loyalty was his pride. 

“Mr. Do, I’ll slip my card into the bag with your medication. Please be certain to contact me if you experience any new symptoms.”

Kyungsoo turned and walked back to the counter. A white paper bag with the top folded over sat on the counter, Kim Minseok gripping the top. He pushed the bag towards Kyungsoo. 

Kyungsoo reached for it, momentarily faltering when he saw that Doctor Kim was wearing a ring on his ring finger. It was a unique ring, one that Kyungsoo had seen only once before.

Minseok removed his hand quickly, smiling brightly at Kyungsoo. “I hope you have a wonderful day, Mr. Do.”

Kyungsoo blinked. “I’m sorry if this seems strange, but may I see your ring?” 

“My ring?” Minseok tilted his head to the side. “I don’t wear jewelry.” He held up his hands; his fingers were devoid of rings.

Kyungsoo furrowed his brow. It had been there. He knew it had been there. He saw it plainly, the jewelry standing out on Minseok’s small hand against the stark white of the paper bag. 

“O-oh. I see.” Kyungsoo snatched the bag. “Sorry, I must have been mistaken.” He gripped the medication tightly. “Thank you for your time, Doctor Kim.”

Once Kyungsoo was free of the shop, he walked half a block to where his car was parked. The moment he slid into the driver’s seat, he pulled out his phone. A quick browse of his work email found what he was looking for. The marketing department had sent the proofs to him two days ago, for Lu Han’s latest print ad. Kyungsoo pinched the screen until the photograph blew up, Lu Han’s hand now taking up most of the cell phone screen.

“Why does Doctor Kim have the same ring Lu Han wears?” Kyungsoo whispered, a sense of foreboding settling over him. 

The ring was still on Kyungsoo’s mind later that day when his phone buzzed, Chanyeol’s name flashing on the screen. He had known it was coming; the lycan called him almost every evening, and dare Kyungsoo admit, he had started to look forward to it, awaiting the call before he made his way over to Chanyeol’s apartment. 

But that should be no more _. I am dying _ . Kyungsoo’s existence had just become infinitely more complicated and Park Chanyeol, never a good fit in his undead life, became even worse of a thing for him. Or perhaps, Kyungsoo allowed himself to consider, he became that much worse for Chanyeol. He was a young, unmated alpha. A sickly vampire was the last thing he needed. Any question, any amount of what-ifs, were directed to a sudden, finite decision that made sense to Kyungsoo in a way not many things had since arriving back in Joseon. 

Kyungsoo slid the button and put the phone to his ear, knowing from experience that Chanyeol would start with a boisterous hello before he rambled off whatever it was he had done that day. Kyungsoo swiftly interrupted him. 

“We shouldn’t see each other anymore.”

The other end of the line was silent. Kyungsoo raised the phone away from his ear to make sure the call had connected. It had.

“Again?” Chanyeol finally spoke. 

When Kyungsoo didn’t immediately answer, Chanyeol added, “Fine. Bye, Kyungsoo.”

The call disconnected, leaving Kyungsoo to toss his phone back onto his desk. He felt a tightening in his chest, a strange pain. 

_ Lycans are trouble _ , he reminded himself.  _ I have other things to focus on.  _

Kyungsoo returned to the task at hand, pushing Park Chanyeol from his mind even as the sensation of tears prickled at the corners of his eyes. 

A pain that he had never felt before settled deep inside of him, like a stone thrown into a lake, sinking fast. He swallowed it down, willing the tears away. 

⁂

Junmyeon sighed, his chest heaving. It was raining– no, downpouring. He could barely see out of the windows of Sehun’s car, the sheets of water obscuring the view. 

“How long is this going to take?” Junmyeon asked, tapping his foot impatiently. 

“Why? Are you horny?” Sehun asked, turning the wheel left.

“What? No,” Junmyeon sputtered. “Is sex all that you think about?”

“Lately, yes,” Sehun answered without skipping a beat.

They had been doing it a lot lately, Junmyeon wouldn’t deny it– but it was for an excellent reason. More sex meant there was a greater chance they could conceive, and once that happened, well, he was on the road to the end of the contract. So, it became a daily thing, at Junmyeon’s place, at Sehun’s place, once in Sehun’s car. Junmyeon felt his face heat up remembering it. They were even staying over at each other’s home, falling asleep side by side. Three weeks had passed this way.

Junmyeon hated it, he reminded himself. Loathed it. Yes. Absolutely hated it.  _ Completely.  _

“I have some work I need to do,” Junmyeon said, shifting the topic. It wasn’t a total lie, but it wasn’t exactly the truth either. He had considered a trip to Yeonseok’s home a blessing in disguise, assuming he could find his way to the library. The reality of the Blood Link had been eating at him, more so because Junseok seemed to come up with little information on the condition. Junmyeon had landed on it one evening as he was lying in bed. If anyone had more information on the Blood link, it would be a vampire, and if any vampire had extensive resources, it was Prince Yoo Yeonseok. Junmyeon had been in his library, had glanced upon the floor to ceiling bookshelves. Now he just needed a moment to be in the vast room alone. 

“Then do it. I won’t stop you. After you greet my family, you’re free to slip away,” Sehun answered. 

“I think I will.” Junmyeon crossed his arms, feeling a well of hope bubble up in him. 

When Sehun had told him they were required to attend some kind of court held at the estate, something that had to do with Yeonseok’s status as vampiric royalty, he had initially balked at the idea. It was all so mysterious and made him feel uncomfortable, but now he had a reason of his own to visit. 

“After it’s over, do you want to get dinner?” Sehun asked, his hand moving over to rest on Junmyeon’s thigh. It was… oddly affectionate and made Junmyeon panic. He pushed Sehun’s hand away. 

“I guess we could,” Junmyeon said, scooting a little further to the right, putting as much distance as he could between himself and Sehun. 

“Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Oh Sehun and Prince Kim Junmyeon.” The servant's voice rang out loud and clear, the double doors to the room opening a second later. 

Junmyeon fidgeted, wringing his hands together. He wasn’t royalty and would never get used to being addressed as such, especially when it came to him through a sham of a marriage– not to mention the title was something born of vampires, a world he would never accept. He felt tense and out of place. 

Sehun put his hand on Junmyeon’s lower back. When Junmyeon looked over at him, he gave him a small smile as if to say it would be okay. Junmyeon sucked in a breath, squaring his shoulders. 

The room they stepped into was the same in which they had been married, a ballroom of sorts. Now it was set up with one impossibly long table of dark, carved wood. Chairs with tall wood backs lined one side of the table, with a more ornate seat in the middle. Unsurprisingly, Yoo Yeonseok sat in the more sumptuous chair, while the others surrounded him. 

“Here comes trouble,” a man who Junmyeon didn’t recognize called out. 

“Shut it, Jongdae,” Sehun shot back. 

The man named Jongdae burst out laughing, a kind and lilting sound. Sehun stopped in front of his father, Junmyeon following his lead. Sehun started his deep bow first, Junmyeon, a millisecond after him. When he lifted his head, Junmyeon found Yeonseok’s eyes on him. 

“How have you been, my child?” Yeonseok asked. “I trust my son has been treating you well.”

“I’m very well, thank you,” Junmyeon answered, making eye contact with the old vampire. He wouldn’t show he was afraid. 

“How strange it is to smell a dog in here.” It was a whisper, one that Junmyeon barely heard. His eyes darted to the general area of where it came from, but he couldn’t be sure who said it. Half a dozen pairs of eyes stared back at him in an eerily expressionless way. He could remember a few faces, but names escaped him. They were Sehun’s siblings, their spouses.

“Say it louder,” Sehun said, voice dripping with venom. 

Junmyeon felt the anger well up in him, the strange sensation of it indicating the emotion was coming from Sehun. He looked over at him, shocked to see how angry Sehun looked over an offhand comment. His hands were clenched into fists at his side.

“Now, now. Play nice, children,” Yeonseok drawled. “We are all family here.”

Sehun reached for Junmyeon’s hand, taking the lycan by surprise. He pulled him towards the door, two servants opening the double doors without a word. 

Once they were outside, Junmyeon hissed, “It’s fine. Let’s go back in.” He didn’t want to invite the wrath of the people in the room, all for an offhanded insult.

“I thought you needed to work?” Sehun asked, letting Junmyeon’s hand slip out of his own. 

“Oh.” Junmyeon scratched the nape of his neck, feeling sheepish. Had he really just thought Sehun dragged him out of the room because of an insult? Of course, that wasn’t it. How embarrassing. “I do. Um, where do I find the library?”

“Please show my husband to the library,” Sehun said to one of the servants. Turning back to Junmyeon, he smirked. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

“Shut up,” Junmyeon spat. 

Sehun snickered then leaned forward, planting a kiss on Junmyeon’s lips before he could register what was happening. 

“See you later, dear,” Sehun said over his shoulder as he walked back into the ballroom. 

Junmyeon glared at his back, feeling tricked.

  
  


Sprawling seemed to be an understatement now that Junmyeon had seen more of the mansion. It was a veritable maze of corridors, rooms that seemed out of place, architectural styles smashed together. The study where he ended up was small, tucked away amid a wide corridor lined with paintings of various landscapes and objects. 

He had followed a servant to the library, the man throwing open the doors before stepping aside to allow Junmyeon to enter. Junmyeon stepped inside, marveling at the tall windows and massive bookcases. Behind him, he heard the door click shut, the servant wordlessly departing, leaving him alone in the vast library.

Junmyeon padded over to the bookcase, eyes scanning the leather-bound volumes. Some had titles in another language, French, he thought. Or maybe Italian. Languages were never his strong suit. He traced his finger over the book spines as he scanned the shelves, the pads of his finger pressing against the aged leather. 

He had to work fast, there were hundreds of books in the room, and he had no idea which one might hold the information he sought. He doubted there was a book titled Blood Link, ready to impart all the details of his condition. No, the most he could hope for was something about the folklore, the legends around it. That is how Lycans tended to record the intricacies of their lives. 

Junmyeon walked along the bookcase, eyes moving over the books as quickly as he could. He stopped when something caught his eye, out of place among the leather-bound volumes. 

“Strange,” he muttered, spotting a brown envelope stuck between two books. 

When he slid the envelope out, he was surprised to see Sehun’s name written on the front. Junmyeon pulled the envelope from the bookshelf and walked back to the small desk, his heartbeat thundering in anticipation. 

The envelope was old, browned by age, delicate and fragile. Junmyeon carefully lifted the flap, peering inside. A sheet of paper was inside, columns of hangul written neatly on the form. Junmyeon glanced at the door, listening. He didn’t hear anything; there was no one around. He could take a quick look…

Junmyeon pulled the sheet from the envelope and set it on the desk. He leaned over and slowly began to read. It was a complicated process to decipher the faded letters. 

The letter began with a poem, Junmyeon quietly sounding out the characters as he read.

_ Sometimes one comes from far, a wanderer _

_ Through tangled grass and thorny wilderness _

_ To taste the golden peaches. All too soon _

_ The path is lost. _

_ Recaptured by the world, _

_ Forever after such a wanderer strays _

_ Through market place and courtyard all alone, _

_ Seeking an unattainable desire, _

_ Scanning in vain the smoky eastern sky _

_ Where flowers of heaven bloom beyond the world. _

There was a break in the text before it continued. Junmyeon squinted at the page.

_ Lord your heart has suffered much, _

_ Your beloved taken from you, covering the world with white snow, _

_ A winter we must all suffer through. _

_ Lady Gaeul loved you until the last sun set upon her world,  _

_ For that we are all most certain. _

_ Lord Oh do believe that her suffering was less, _

_ The lycans who ended her world are forever gone, _

_ May the sun look upon your life again, my lord. _

Junmyeon didn’t realize his hand was shaking until he was done reading, the paper vibrating between his fingers. He let it slip onto the desk. 

_ Lady Gaeul? Sehun… A lover. His lover? lycans… _

Junmyeon suddenly felt sick. Was he misreading it? He looked again, digesting, processing the letters, the words. 

Lycans had killed Oh Sehun’s lover.

Lycans.

“My god,” Junmyeon whispered, his heart beginning to beat rapidly in his chest. With shaking hands, he slipped the letter back into the envelope, striding back to the bookcase and returning it to where he found it. 

He wished he had never taken it. He wished he had never been so foolish as to read what his eyes were never meant to see. 

_ He must hate everything about me _ . It felt like a hot knife was plunged into his stomach and twisted. Junmyeon was overcome with a wave of nausea. He could feel the pinpricks of sweat on his brow. Staggering, he made it to the desk, where he gripped onto the edge, his knuckles turning white. 

Junmyeon felt like he had been turned around a dozen times, a surge of dizziness prevailing. He closed his eyes and tried taking a deep breath. 

When the door to the study opened a minute later, Junmyeon’s eyes snapped open in surprise. He turned his head to see who it was, the move finally doing him in. Junmyeon was horrified as he wretched once, then twice, vomiting all over the desk and carpeting. 

Sehun stood in the doorway, eyes wide. 

  
  


Junmyeon wanted to go home. He wanted to crawl into his bed and never leave it. His body had other plans. He was so nauseous that he could barely stand to walk. Sehun had carried him to a small bedroom and laid him on the bed, arguing with Junmyeon when he tried to get up. His world had become a blur, a spinning mess of rooms he didn’t recognize.

Junmyeon sank back into the bed and closed his eyes, not waking up until his older brother shook him awake. Thankfully, Sehun had the common sense to call him. 

Junseok ordered him to stay still, and for once, Junmyeon couldn’t argue. He felt terrible. With his eyes closed, he tried to focus on not throwing up, a convenient distraction from the letter he had read.

“Is everything okay?” Sehun asked after Junseok completed his examination. 

Junmyeon would have yelled at Sehun for staying in the room during the exam but couldn’t find the energy. He opened his eyes, looking up at his brother. 

“Yes, I think so,” Junseok said. “Congratulations, you’re going to be parents. Junmyeon, you’re pregnant.”

Junmyeon felt like his entire body seized up, ice-cold panic tensing his muscles. “W-what?”

“It looks like the medication worked.” Junseok smiled. “Congratulations.”

Junmyeon felt the prick of tears in his eyes. He was pregnant. He thought he would feel relieved once it happened, but instead, he felt fear. Disgust. Anxiety. Sadness. A slew of negative emotions gripped him, overwhelming his body. 

He didn’t even dare to look at Sehun, to see how he was reacting. He shouldn’t care; this wasn’t happy news. This was the fulfillment of a contract. 

“I’m going to be sick,” Junmyeon heaved a moment later, vomiting over the side of the bed, his brother moving back just in time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH /runs


	14. Chapter 12

When Kyungsoo was newly turned, he was ravenous. The hunger gnawed at him day and night, no matter how deeply he drank. It corroded his insides, made him feel like every part of him became sharp and jagged and painful with no possible relief to be found, nothing to smooth the rough edges and let him relax. And then it faded, slowly at first, and then one day it was gone. One morning Kyungsoo woke up and felt almost human, that is, if he could remember that precise feeling. 

It was bizarre, the way vampire’s memories of life before their vampiric state seemed to vanish, dissipating quickly as they adjusted to their new reality. Or perhaps it made perfect sense, Kyungsoo thought, that such a violent and all-encompassing metamorphosis should overwrite the treasured parts of them– the memories of their childhood, of their friends, of their family. Many could remember bits, pieces, a fragment of what came before. But not all. No one remembered everything. No one remembered exactly what it was like to be human. 

Kyungsoo dropped the medicine into a glass of A positive, stirring it with a spoon before sucking it down in one long gulp. 

He had been taking the medication for three days, and he could admit he was beginning to feel different. The first day, the first day in a long time he hadn’t drunk from Chanyeol, the hunger had overwhelmed him, leaving him afraid that he might pass out. But it faded, just like when he was first turned. The edges were smoothed, the jagged pain of hunger became a dull hum. He wasn’t entirely one hundred percent, but he wasn’t feeling like permanent death either. 

Kyungsoo held onto a hope he hadn’t felt in a while, albeit it was touched with a long shadow of a doubt. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. Why did Kim Minseok wear a ring that matched Lu Han’s, and what, if anything, did it mean?

  
  
  


Park Chanyeol was not easy to shake, even if Kyungsoo did his best to break things off. Whether he liked it or not, they were bound together by their employers’ marriage. Avoidance wasn’t a tactic that could work long term, especially given the news. 

Kyungsoo was called to meet Sehun at his apartment, which would have seemed entirely normal if it weren’t for the fact he found Park Chanyeol standing outside the door at the same time, a brown paper bag clutched in his hand. 

Chanyeol’s scent was strong, sweetness heavy on his brown suit, so much so Kyungsoo dreaded getting within ten feet of the man. He smelled nothing short of delicious. 

When Chanyeol spotted Kyungsoo, he looked away, the hurt evident on his face. 

“Good evening,” Kyungsoo said, hoping he sounded neutral and unaffected. 

“I didn’t realize you were coming too,” Chanyeol said gruffly. 

Kyungsoo nodded politely as he reached for the keypad, punching in the door code. Sehun was notorious for never coming to the door; it was easier just to let themselves in. When the door clicked open, Kyungsoo held back, gesturing for Chanyeol to go first. 

Chanyeol didn’t make eye contact as he pushed past Kyungsoo, firmly ignoring his presence. 

“In here,” Sehun called once he heard the door click shut. 

After toeing off his shoes and replacing them with slippers, Kyungsoo lead the way down the long hallway to the living area. He was relieved to see that the apartment was now clean; gone were the scattered clothing and other random out of place objects. 

Sehun was sitting on one of the long leather sofas, white like the walls and ceiling. He was dressed casually in a t-shirt and jeans, his feet bare, and his hair un-styled. He always looked younger this way, Kyungsoo thought. A bit naïve. 

Kim Junmyeon was sitting on the edge of one of the cream-colored chairs, his hands clasped tightly on his lap. His cheeks were pale, dark circles rimmed his eyes. He looked like he had come from the office, still wearing a tie, oxford shirt, and dress slacks. 

When Chanyeol entered the room, a few steps behind Kyungsoo, he instantly stilled. 

Kyungsoo turned, inundated by a sudden burst of Chanyeol’s scent. He narrowed his eyes at the expression on Chanyeol’s face. He looked… confused. Afraid? Uncertain?

“You’re pregnant,” Chanyeol said, voice low. 

“Yes,” Junmyeon confirmed.

Kyungsoo’s gaze darted to Sehun, who was looking at Junmyeon with worry. 

“I can smell it,” Chanyeol said. “Your scent, it’s different. There’s another.”

Kyungsoo hung back, not knowing what to say. He was trying to digest the fact it had actually been possible. Yoo Yeonseok’s plan had worked, at least to this point. A lycan carrying a vampire’s child… 

“That’s why you haven’t been in the office the last few days,” Chanyeol said. He stepped forward, moving to kneel in front of Junmyeon. “Hyung, you look sick,” he said, reaching to put his hand over Junmyeon’s smaller ones. 

“I  _ am _ sick,” Junmyeon answered. “I feel like death.”

Chanyeol turned, giving Sehun a pointed look. “Did you have to do this to him?” 

Sehun sighed. “Last time I checked, it takes more than one supernatural creature to make a baby.”

“Does Prince Yeonseok know?” Kyungsoo asked, cutting through the palpable tension. 

“Yes, he does,” Junmyeon answered.

Kyungsoo wanted to ask Sehun what he was thinking, what he felt about the whole thing, but he couldn’t. Not here. Not now, and quite honestly, even if they were alone, he doubted he would get the whole truth out of him. Sehun wouldn’t let his feelings on the matter go so freely, even to someone as close as Kyungsoo. 

“He’s insisting I stay here,” Junmyeon said, his voice flat and lifeless. 

“That’s ridiculous.” Chanyeol shot Sehun another dirty look. “Hyung, do you need me to take you to your apartment? What did your brother say? Junseok Hyung should––”

“Are those bite marks on your neck?” Sehun asked Chanyeol, interrupting his rambling. 

Kyungsoo tensed, jaw tightening. Sehun’s interruption was meant to stop Chanyeol’s verbal assault of him, redirecting the attention, and it pissed Kyungsoo off to no end.

Chanyeol clamped his hand over his neck, over the pink flesh, indented with marks that fit Kyungsoo’s teeth.

“Chanyeol.” Junmyeon leaned in, eyes wide. “Let me see.”

Kyungsoo met Sehun’s eyes, the two old friends staring at each other, a silent exchange of betrayal. Kyungsoo kind of wanted to punch him in the face. 

“What happened to secrets?” Kyungsoo muttered, glaring at Sehun.

Sehun shrugged. 

“It was you?” Junmyeon looked past Chanyeol to where Kyungsoo stood. “What did you do to him?”

“I let him, Hyung, I let him.” Chanyeol grabbed onto Junmyeon’s arm like he needed to hold him back lest he launched himself at Kyungsoo. 

Kyungsoo turned on his heels and stalked back toward the door. He was too old for this—too long-suffering in a multitude of ways. If Oh Sehun wanted to play this game, he would play it. It wouldn’t be the first time over the centuries they got on each other’s nerves. Sure, they usually reconciled quickly, but things were different now. 

Kyungsoo stopped when he heard a loud gasp from the living room. He stood in the middle of the hall, debating if he should go back. 

“Junmyeon, are you okay? Junmyeon?!” Chanyeol sounded alarmed, his voice rising in tone. 

Kyungsoo closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath.

“It’s fine. Just please, call my brother,” Junmyeon hissed. 

Kyungsoo opened his eyes and resumed his walk towards the front door, his hands clenched into fists at his side. 

  
  
  


“Your brother is an asshole,” were the first words Kyungsoo spoke when Jongdae answered the apartment door. 

“I could have told you that,” Jongdae quipped. “Though I think you know it far better than I ever have.”

Kyungsoo hummed in agreement, stepping into Jongdae’s apartment. The place was lofty and spacious, the decorating fun and colorful. It was light and airy like Jongdae, comforting in a happy-go-lucky way. 

“Do I want to know what happened?” Jongdae asked, gesturing for Kyungsoo to follow him into the living room. 

Kyungsoo sat on the teal colored sofa, sinking into the deep cushions. “No, probably not.”

“Fair enough,” Jongdae said, quickly adding, “Do you want anything to drink?”

“I’ll take A positive if you have any.” Kyungsoo relaxed his shoulders, trying to make the tension that was grinding on him ease. 

“Coming right up,” Jongdae sing-songed, walking off to the kitchen to fetch their drinks. 

Kyungsoo sucked in a breath. He stared at the dark television across the room, zoning out, trying to think of nothing at all. He didn’t want to obsess over the way Sehun so casually redirected everything to him, or more specifically, to what he had been doing with Chanyeol. He hoped Junmyeon was okay, but he wasn’t about to stay. It wasn’t his place. Besides, he had already made a date to visit Jongdae. He had some questions of the older vampire. 

Jongdae came back carrying two glasses full of blood. He handed one off to Kyungsoo before taking a seat in the fuchsia-colored armchair sitting across from the sofa. 

Kyungsoo took a sip, savoring the fresh taste. It wasn’t as good as Chanyeol’s blood, nothing was as good as that, but it was still tasty. He set the cup down on the parrot-patterned coaster. 

“I heard you saw Doctor Kim. How did that go?”

“He thinks it’s a blood-born illness that I contracted, a rare occurrence. I’ve been taking medicine every morning, which seems to be helping. He said he couldn’t predict the illness's trajectory, however, because it doesn’t happen often. It…” He stared into his cup. “It doesn’t look good in the long term.”

“Oh, Kyungsoo,” Jongdae said softly. “I’m sorry.”

Kyungsoo looked up from his cup. Jongdae was staring at him, sadness in his gaze. “It’s fine. We will all eventually go, right?”

“But, the medicine can help?”

“Yes. Maybe.” Kyungsoo took a drink. 

“I’m glad you at least went to consult him, then. I’ll remain hopeful.” Jongdae offered Kyungsoo a friendly smile. “Even if my brother can be an asshole, he definitely needs you around.”

Kyungsoo snorted. “Right.” He sighed. “I wanted to ask you, how did you learn of Doctor Kim? He seems very knowledgeable about our kind, but as far as I can tell, he’s human.”

“Yes, he is. Human, I mean.” Jongdae smiled. “My father has been associated with him for the last few years, which is how I met him. Apparently, his family worked with our kind off and on for a few generations.”

“I see.” Kyungsoo wasn’t sure how to phrase his next question, mainly because it seemed so outlandish and was likely little more than a coincidence. So, he held back, prying further into the generalities instead. “It’s interesting to meet humans who know of us, much less can offer medical treatment.”

“I thought the same, but he seems to be very discreet and knowledgeable. Not much more we can really ask for than that.”

Discretion was vital, Kyungsoo couldn’t argue with that. If humans were to discover their kind, as they had done in the past bloody bursts of violence, they would all be in danger. Perhaps he was overthinking it all…

“I noticed he was wearing an unusual ring,” Kyungsoo said slowly, like the words weighed on his tongue. “He hid it when I asked him about it.”

Jongdae leaned forward, lips pursed. “What type of ring?”

“It matches a ring that Lu Han, one of the artists at our agency, wears. He said it was a family heirloom.” Kyungsoo pulled out his phone and brought up the ring's picture, handing off his cellphone to Jongdae. 

“It’s a snake,” Jongdae said, holding the phone close as he studied the picture.

“Yes. Sehun and Yifan hate the thing and tried to get Lu Han to ditch it, but he refused. He wears it all the time, or at least he did,” Kyungsoo explained. “That is why I remember it so well. It was unusual to see someone else wearing one.”

“Yes, that is unusual,” Jongdae agreed. “Something about the way you’re talking about this leads me to believe you don’t think it is a mere coincidence.”

“Your highness, I–“

Jongdae rolled his eyes at the use of his title. 

“Sorry,” Kyungsoo muttered. “I’m not sure what I think about it, to be honest. I wouldn’t have thought much if he hadn’t tried to hide it.”

“Have you asked Lu Han about it?” Jongdae handed the phone back to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo stared down at the picture, noting the ring's strange curve that mimicked a serpent’s body. “Not yet.”

“Let me know what he says when you do. Maybe it is some Chinese good luck symbol or something.”

“Maybe.” Kyungsoo slipped the phone back into his pocket. It probably was a coincidence, something completely harmless. He was overthinking…

“You’re no fun when you’re worried,” Jongdae quipped. “Sehun must have really pissed you off.”

“Not more than usual,” Kyungsoo lied. 

“You’re a terrible liar,” Jongdae said. “But it just so happens I am a great friend and can easily forgive you.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but smile. Jongdae was such a breath of fresh air from his younger brother. 

“But I still worry about you. With your illness and the stress of my brother’s situation… Anyway, I had the most random memory come back to me the other night.” Jongdae smiled but it seemed oddly bittersweet. “Do you remember the time we spent in Shanghai, at the Astor House?”

Kyungsoo hadn’t heard that name in a long time. “Yes, it was last century– no, before that. The century before.”

“That’s the one! Remember the time Sehun, me, and you cleared out the entire Turkish baths, the foreign humans running and screaming about vampires? And you ended up taking most of their wallets in the scramble.” Jongdae laughed. 

Kyungsoo smiled, vividly remembering it. The westerners had treated the staff at the hotel egregiously. One of the staff members happened to be entangled with a certain vampire they had become friendly with. Sehun had the charm to talk his way into the baths, and Jongdae, Sehun, and Kyungsoo had the combined mischievous streak to terrify the lot of them and come out much richer in the process. 

“It’s been a long time,” Kyungsoo said quietly. 

“I worry that you and my brother have forgotten how to have fun like that,” Jongdae said. “How to let everything go. Especially you. You seem so serious lately. I know you’ve been sick, Kyungsoo, but if you feel well enough, I want to ask you a favor.”

“What?” Kyungsoo would do almost anything for Jongdae. 

“Try to be happy, “Jongdae answered. “Remember, you deserve to be happy too.”

Kyungsoo swallowed thickly. He nodded, not quite sure how to respond. Objectively everyone– human, lycan, or vampire– deserved to be happy to some extent. But what really was happiness? Had he ever really known it?

“I’ll try,” Kyungsoo said, feigning a small smile. 

⁂

For the second time in a handful of days, Junmyeon found himself in bed, his older brother hovering over him while Sehun hung back. The difference between this time and the last was that Park Chanyeol was also present, his tall frame evident in the shadow of the doorway. 

Junmyeon closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. The nausea had passed, and the pain that had ripped through his side was gone too. He had been sure he was losing the baby, though honestly, he wasn’t sure what that was supposed to feel like. He didn’t know what any of this was supposed to feel like, which was part of the problem. He was scared at the way his body had suddenly become strange and foreign to him, reacting in ways that he had never experienced before. 

“I would like to speak to my brother alone,” Junseok said, his voice firm– his alpha voice, Junmyeon thought. 

Junmyeon didn’t open his eyes until he heard the door to the bedroom click shut, Chanyeol’s scent gone. When he opened his eyes, he found Junseok looking down at him, an odd expression on his face. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Junmyeon asked. “Spit it out.”

Junseok took a seat on the edge of the bed. They were in the guest bedroom in Sehun’s ridiculously large apartment, the same place where Junmyeon had slept during his first night with Sehun. That is where Sehun had carried him after he felt sick in the living room. Something about being back in the room made him feel strange, like he had taken multiple steps backward– backward from what exactly, he couldn’t pinpoint. 

“Your vitals are normal. The pain you experienced was a cramp, nothing to worry about. That said, as I am sure you are aware, your hormone levels are changing to accommodate the child,” Junseok explained. “HCG or human chorionic gonadotropin is what is causing your sickness, at least in part. Morning sickness as it is commonly called, except, well, in your case, it isn’t the morning.”

“Thanks, I figured that out,” Junmyeon snapped, feeling irritable. “What else?”

“I received the results back from the blood draw I took three days ago. Your levels of estradiol, progesterone, and prolactin are aggressive when compared to expectations.”

Junmyeon frowned. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Not necessarily, but they will need to be monitored closely. It does indicate that certain symptoms will likely occur before others, which means you should be prepared for them. Of course, there are vitamins and supplements you will need to take during your pregnancy, but beyond that, there are other preventative and proactive measures you should take.”

Junmyeon put his hand on his flat stomach. He suddenly felt unbearably ignorant. Of course, he had gone through the classes in school. Beyond that, he had read the book his mother gave him, covering the lycan parts missing from a human sex-ed course. But still, it seemed there was so much he didn’t know. 

“The nesting habit in pregnant omegas can come on quite strongly, usually midway through the gestation period. On average, this occurs in the fourth month. As you know, lycans have a shorter gestation period than humans.”

“Seven months,” Junmyeon said slowly, looking down at his stomach. 

“Yes. Your particular hormone levels are indicative of the nesting drive kicking in sooner rather than later. It happens; it isn’t entirely unheard of for it to come early.”

“What does that all mean?” Junmyeon felt close to tears. Frustration and anger tightened his chest, making him want to scream. He hated this loss of control, this sudden confusion.

“You are likely going to feel the pull to nest very soon. If you ignore those inclinations, it will likely be bad for you and the child. Your emotions are critical to your pregnancy, Junmyeon. I know this is difficult for you, but as a physician, I would recommend you begin planning on where you want to spend your pregnancy.”

_ Nesting. _ Junmyeon had heard of it before, of course. He remembered when his female omega cousin did it, holing herself away for a few months before giving birth, taking an extended leave from her job. He knew it as a vague concept– something about staying home, about clinging to some sort of notion of safety and security. He hadn’t realized it would be something he had to indulge in. He had assumed it was more of an optional thing, something people who believed in fated pairs and soul mates practiced. 

“Where I want to spend it? At my house, of course, when I’m not at work.” Junmyeon didn’t understand. “Is this happening because– because he’s a vampire?”

What was the child growing inside of him? A hybrid between a lycan and a vampire was something the world had never seen… What could he expect?

“No, this early hormonal variation does occur in lycans, albeit it is unusual. Your lycan instinct will drive you to be near your mate while you’re pregnant. If you ignore this instinct–"

“I don’t have a mate.” 

“Junmyeon,” Junseok said slowly. “I know your arrangement is highly unusual, but for all intents and purposes, your body will recognize Sehun as a mate.”

“I have to live with him,” Junmyeon said in a small voice. He wasn’t asking; he knew that is what his brother was trying to tell him. 

He didn’t want to live with Sehun. Since the moment he found out he was pregnant– no, since the evening he found out he was pregnant– he had wanted very much to be far away from him. More so than average, more so than his usual aversion. 

_ Lycans killed his lover. _

So many unanswered questions, so many unknowns, surrounded every interaction between them. And the feelings that were stirring in him, the ones he didn’t want to name, didn’t want to recognize, made him want to run faster, harder, find a place where he wouldn’t have to see Sehun at all. 

“I want to stay in my apartment. I won’t move.”

“Then I suggest you have Oh Sehun move in with you. It will make your pregnancy go smoother in many ways, Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon felt the tears prick the corners of his eyes. He hated everything about his current situation.  _ Everything. _

“I’ll consider it,” he said, holding back his tears. 

  
  


When Junseok headed out, Junmyeon asked him to send Chanyeol in. They needed to talk– about a lot apparently. He could see the worry in the alpha’s eyes as he trudged inside, not looking unlike a puppy who had been caught doing something it shouldn’t have.

“Junseok said you’ll be okay,” Chanyeol started. He looked down at Junmyeon, lip jutted out in an unconscious pout. 

“Eventually, yes.” Junmyeon put his hand on his stomach. “Once this is all over, I should be fine.”

“Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do?”

“You can start by telling me what is going on with you and Oh Sehun’s little minion.”

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol corrected.

“Kyungsoo, right. Now talk.” Junmyeon settled back, reasonably sure he wouldn’t like whatever Chanyeol was about to tell him. He had always felt overprotective of Chanyeol; they had grown up together, and Junmyeon was the older of the pair. The fact he presented as an omega while Chanyeol was an alpha never changed the fact Junmyeon always felt like he had to watch over him. 

And Chanyeol needed watching over, in Junmyeon’s mind. He wasn’t known for his stellar life choices, at least not when he was left to his own devices. He was capable, but he was too trusting, too kind. He had been hurt more than once by displaying bouts of blind faith only to have people– friends, co-workers, lovers– take advantage of his generosity. 

“He was sick. Not anymore, he’s better now, but he was, and one thing led to another and, well.” Chanyeol placed his hand on his neck, his palm flush against the bite marks. “He drank from me—multiple times. I like him, Hyung. I really like him.”

“Like him _ how _ ?”

“Like a mate,” Chanyeol said, his cheeks coloring.

“Your parents would disown you,” Junmyeon warned. The Parks were gentle, sweet people, but they had made it very clear years ago that they had their only son’s future well mapped out– a lovely wedding to an omega, two to three point five grandkids, and all would be well. 

Chanyeol sighed. “It probably won’t come to that. I don’t think he likes me the same way I like him.”

“You let him drink from you without confirming?”

“Hyung, not to be a jerk, but you’re pregnant by a vampire you don’t even like. I hardly think–”

Junmyeon held up his hand. “Fine, point taken.” This was a mess. Junmyeon had been so wrapped up with what was going on with his own life he hadn’t noticed what was happening to his assistant. 

“Have you asked him how he feels?”

Chanyeol fidgeted with his hands. “Not in those exact words. I asked him if we could keep seeing each other. He said yes, but now he changed his mind.”

“Bloodsuckers,” Junmyeon hissed. “They treat us like we don’t have feelings.”

Like a cruel joke, at that moment, Junmyeon felt the dull throb of Sehun’s emotions, the slow wave of feeling that didn’t originate within. He was still not used to the sensation even if it had been weeks since it began. It always felt like his body was battling against a foreign intrusion, like he was walking against the wind. He could sense sadness, anxiety, a bizarre melding of emotions that took up residence in his chest, grating against his own feelings and perceptions.

“I think it’s best if you stay away from him; nothing good can come from this. We’re too different,” Junmyeon said firmly. “I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“Yeah, well, same here.” Chanyeol gave Junmyeon a pointed look. “I’m worried about you.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Chanyeol didn’t look like he believed him. 

“Did you drink from Kyungsoo?” Junmyeon asked, the thought popping into his mind. 

“No.” Chanyeol wrinkled his nose. “Why would I drink blood?”

“Right.” Junmyeon was relieved that at least he hadn’t gone through with the same sort of ritual he had indulged in with Sehun. Chanyeol was presumably safe from the blood link if it had only been one-sided. That said, he had to make sure the mistake was never repeated, especially since Chanyeol was someone who could be easily swayed, especially if he liked the person. “If he ever asks you too, don’t. Promise me you won’t.”

“I won’t. Why are we talking about this? I thought you said not to talk to him.” 

“Just promise.”

“Fine, I promise.” Chanyeol held up three fingers in a mock scout’s honor pledge. 

“Thank you.” Junmyeon scooted up on the bed, his back pressed against the mound of pillows. “Chanyeol, be very careful. Nothing good will come from getting too close to them.”

“I know…”

“Let him go,” Junmyeon warned. 

“Hyung, is that what you are going to do?” Chanyeol asked. “You keep saying they are no good, but aren’t you married to one?”

It was like a slap in the face. Junmyeon tended to forget that the narrative he had sold his parents, his brother, and his close friends didn’t match reality. They didn’t know about the contract, specifically Junmyeon’s plan to leave Sehun as soon as the child was born. 

“It’s complicated,” Junmyeon huffed. He couldn’t tell Chanyeol the truth. Not yet. 

“I’m sure it is.” Chanyeol sighed, shoulders sagging. “It’s probably for the best I stay away, you know. I don’t think Kyungsoo likes me; I need to accept it.”

“I know it will hurt now, Chanyeol, but you’ll forget about him soon.” Junmyeon reached his hand out. Chanyeol stepped forward and took it, squeezing Junmyeon’s much smaller hand in his own. “You know I love you like a brother. I’ll always be here for you.”

“I know.”

A soft rapping sounded on the door. A second later, the doorknob twisted, Sehun peeking his head in. 

Chanyeol let Junmyeon’s hand go. “I should get going. Rest well, Hyung.”

“You too,” Junmyeon murmured, feeling a bolt of pain in his heart. He didn’t want Chanyeol to suffer; he didn’t want to think of him in pain or upset. He also couldn’t do a damn thing about it, especially not in his current condition. His life was a mess. 

Chanyeol brushed past Sehun as he left, the vampire stepping inside the room and closing the door after him. 

Junmyeon clasped his hands on his lap, the tension building within him immediately. They hadn’t talked, not really, since they found out about the pregnancy. Junmyeon had been sick a lot, and when he wasn’t, he was busy sending Sehun away because he was too tired or, on the rare moments he could, too busy with work. The reality was that he didn’t want to see Sehun yet, not when his mind stuck on the cryptic letter he had discovered a few nights prior. 

But there was no hiding when their emotions were linked. Sehun could feel his worry, his sadness, and his fear. If anything, he was drawing the vampire in closer, throwing off signs of distress he couldn’t help but notice. 

“We need to talk,” Sehun said, walking to the bed and taking a seat on the edge as if to say he wouldn’t be kicked out again. 

“Go ahead,” Junmyeon said, trying to remain calm. “Talk. I’ll listen.”

Sehun looked at him, his eyes holding the darkness Junmyeon had been drawn into time and time again. He somehow looked older, paler, his shoulders less sturdy– like he was bearing a terrible burden. 

“I would like you to move in here,” Sehun said

“No. Absolutely not.” Junmyeon crossed his arms over his chest. Junseok would scold him, but he didn’t care. But moving in with Sehun was not an option. This place wasn’t home. It wasn’t any kind of home. It was too big, too...  _ not his _ . 

“Junmyeon, I know neither of us wanted this, but we’re stuck with it. If we want to see this to the end, we need to plan on working together.” Sehun clenched his jaw. “If we’re together, I can take care of you. You’ve been so sick, not to mention our blood link… If I’m worried, you’ll feel it and vice versa. It’s easier to keep those emotions under control if we’re together.” 

Junmyeon felt the stirring of motivation, the strange craving to sit up, to move closer, to bury his head against Sehun’s shoulder. To hide his face there, away from the light, away from the world. An omega wanting their alpha during a vulnerable moment. But no, Sehun wasn’t his mate. He wasn’t even a lycan. All of that was damn well apparent, considering Sehun was talking about the Blood Link as a motivation to co-habitat, oblivious to the Lycan need to nest that Junseok felt would come into play very soon. 

“I’m afraid moving in with you is just not possible.” Junmyeon gritted his teeth. He felt a measure of physical pain at actually having to say the next words out loud. “But if you’re willing, I–“  _ Ugh, why had it come to this? _ “I am willing to let you have the guest room at my apartment.”

“Yes, okay,” Sehun answered without pause, readily accepting the offer.

Junmyeon hated it more that he felt the literal relief wash over Sehun, some of his worry seeping away with the agreement. 

“How are you feeling?” Sehun asked, reaching his hand out to place it on the blanket resting over Junmyeon’s legs. 

Junmyeon stared down at Sehun’s hand. “I’m... I’ll be okay.”

He wanted to ask about what he had read; he wanted to just get it out in the open. But it didn’t matter, not really. He shouldn’t care what Oh Sehun had lived through; he shouldn’t care what he thought about lycans. Sehun had an entire past that Junmyeon shouldn’t care about, likely filled with many things that would be painful if exposed. A time before blood banks, before truces, when blood and violence were common.

“I can’t wait for this all to be over,” Junmyeon mumbled, jerking his leg away from Sehun’s hand. 

Sehun nodded, not saying anything in response. 


	15. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another double update, so please make sure to read Chapter 12 first :)

Kyungsoo had assumed he would feel some emotional pain when he visited the place, but there was nothing. Just a tight line settling in his chest, a sense that he had found what he was looking for, nothing more or nothing less: no grand sweeping memories or regrets, only acknowledgment. 

When Kyungsoo had first been turned into a vampire, he wandered, lost, and confused. His sire was killed shortly after he was turned, leaving him alone. That is how Yeonseok had found him, bloody and filthy, his clothing torn, his eyes wild. He had been brought to Yeonseok’s home near Changdeokgung Palace, kept in a small storage room near the servants’ quarters until he learned to control himself. And from there, he was given a choice– serve the Yoo family or cease to exist. There was no room for rogue, unhinged vampires in Hanseong. Not when the ruling family was already busy handling humans and lycans. 

Kyungsoo had pledged himself to the Yoo family that day, kneeling before Prince Yoo Yeonseok, his hand clasped on his knees. His torn clothing had been replaced with the red cloth that all the servants wore; his hair was cleaned until it shone. The next day he was given to Prince Oh Sehun. “Guard him with your existence,” Yeonseok had ordered. “Or I will destroy you myself.”

Kyungsoo had found the place he had uttered his vow, lost in the calculations, referencing distance from the parts of the palace that still stood. Of course, the house was gone; the dusty courtyard he once swept was no more. Concrete buildings had replaced them. 

Suddenly the memory of Park Chanyeol’s wall of pictures flashed in his mind. 

“Why am I being foolish,” he muttered. He wasn’t sentimental. This was ridiculous. All of this was ridiculous.

He knew that it was mindless, insignificant, but he had felt an itch lately. An itch to revisit, to try to remember. If this illness dangled permanent death over him, the past suddenly held a before unknown attraction to him. His future may be nothingness; the past would be all that he had. 

An image of Park Chanyeol flashed in his mind, smiling, eager. 

His throat closed up. Kyungsoo slipped his hands into his pockets and put his head down. He began the trudge back to his car, feeling lost, having not found what he was looking for after all. 

  
  
  


Kyungsoo called Chen He to his office, knowing full well Lu Han’s manager would likely arrive in a panic. He was high strung on the best days, though he did his best to hide it with humor. Taking care of a celebrity like Lu Han wasn’t easy, and Kyungsoo would have thought Chen He’s temperament a poor fit for the job if he hadn’t seen the two together. Somehow it worked, Lu Han listening to his manager when all other avenues failed. 

And truth be told, Chen He was an asset that Kyungsoo needed to utilize more often. He was loyal to VIVI _ and _ to Lu Han, giving him a unique perspective.

The manager trudged into Kyungsoo’s office space, dressed more like a college student than a professional. 

“Sir,” he greeted, taking the seat Kyungsoo offered him. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Kyungsoo started out. Chen He visibly relaxed. “I just need to ask you a few questions about Lu Han.”

“Okay. Question away.” He smiled brightly. 

“Do you know the identity of the man Lu Han is seeing?” Kyungsoo had debated going down this route, but the nagging feeling hadn’t left him. There was something strange about seeing the same ring on two people. He only had the opportunity to dig into the details with one of those individuals, so that is what he decided to do, no matter how unorthodox it may be.

“Yes, I do. Why?”

“A name would be nice.” Kyungsoo settled back, waiting. 

“Kim Minseok,” Chen He answered. “He’s Korean, but I think you know that.”

Kyungsoo stiffened. “Yes, I knew that part. What does he do? I mean, is he in the industry?”

Chen He shook his head. “No. Of all things, he is a traditional medicine doctor.” He snorted. “Ridiculous, right?”

“Ridiculous,” Kyungsoo repeated, feigning agreement.  _ The connection. _

“God, Lu Han is going to kill me if he finds out I told you. Promise you aren’t going to use this against him.” Chen He rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Promise.” Kyungsoo feigned a smile. 

“I guess they used to be pen-pals way back when– known each other for years. I’ve never seen Lu Han like this. He’s lovesick. He’s been super hard to deal with because of it. He just wants to run off and see this Minseok guy.”

_ A deeper connection than he could have guessed.  _ “I see. You know, if you need help from the company–”

“No. No. It’s fine.” Chen He held his hand up. “Why are you asking?”

“Just wanted to find out more about the person who has captured Lu Han’s attention. I thought asking Lu Han directly might not be as productive.” Kyungsoo smiled. “Is he sleeping and eating enough?” 

After spending a few minutes asking more traditional questions about Lu Han, Kyungsoo bid Chen He farewell. As soon as he was alone, he sunk back into his chair, mind racing. There were a lot of implications in the fact Lu Han had known Kim Minseok for many years. 

For starters, Lu Han didn’t know that the executive leadership of VIVI Entertainment was not of the living. Or at least that is what Kyungsoo had assumed. Had Minseok told him? Had Lu Han known all along? There were no stars at the agency who belonged to the vampiric world. It was too risky, too foolish. Yet Lu Han was involved with a human who knew not only of vampires but of lycans also? 

_ Shit. Shit. Shit.  _

It could be disastrous for all of them. If Kim Minseok wasn’t trustworthy, if Lu Han didn’t keep his mouth shut,  _ if if if _ . Not to mention the fact Kyungsoo didn’t believe such a coincidence could exist. Lu Han being involved with one of the few humans that knew of them? The same human who created the medication to allow Kim Junmyeon to carry a child, the same human who made it to treat Kyungsoo? It was too convenient; bad fortune disguised as serendipity. 

Everything felt wrong, and now Kyungsoo had to decide his next steps. His choice would have been easy had it been a month before, a year earlier, or any time over the centuries prior– he would tell Oh Sehun of his worries, and they would decide what to do together. That avenue seemed closed to him, however. The path to Sehun had changed, had been redirected, and Kyungsoo couldn’t claim it was his path to walk on anymore. For the first time since the beginning, he had started to feel like he wasn’t meant to be next to Sehun, an uncomfortable, awful feeling that made him feel lost. And now this. 

Kyungsoo pulled out his phone, his finger itching over the screen. Jongdae. Yixing. Yifan. Prince Yoo Yeonseok. 

Trust. He needed someone he could trust. Someone who knew enough, who could learn more, who wouldn’t talk. Who would listen.

Like a fool, he dialed the number, putting the phone to his ear, the shrill ring beating into his eardrum. 

“What?” Chanyeol answered, his tone biting and annoyed. 

“I need your help,” Kyungsoo said. “I don’t know who else to talk to.”

There was a long stretch of silence before Chanyeol spoke again. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” Chanyeol said. “Please don’t call me again.”

_ Click.  _

Kyungsoo cradled the phone in his hand. He felt adrift, afraid. Selfish. A fleeting series of feelings hurrying through him, none of them positive. The one that clung to him, the one that took, that hurt the most, was the feeling he was alone. 

_ Utterly alone.  _ And it was his own fault. 

⁂

  
  


Kim Junmyeon enjoyed talking to people. He always had. He was a social creature, growing morose when left alone for too long. But even Junmyeon had his limits. 

“Come on, just one shot,” Kibum cooed, slinging his arm over the back of Junmyeon’s chair.

Junmyeon gritted his teeth, shaking his head  _ no _ . 

“What, are you pregnant?” Kibum guffawed, slapping the back of the chair with a thud. The rest of the table, excluding Chanyeol and Baekhyun, burst into high-pitched laughter, completely unaware that Junmyeon wasn’t human and  _ was  _ very much pregnant. 

Junmyeon faked a laugh that came out condescending. “Very funny. I’m watching my health, Mr. Lee. But please, drink.”

Junmyeon glanced at the clock on the wall, the black-framed timepiece with a layer of grease on the front. It was pushing past eleven o’clock. This was their second stop of the evening, drinks after their first rounds of drinks with dinner. He would have skipped it if he could, but that was impossible. Most older than Junmyeon, a few around his age, the men gathered were all investors in Wolf Entertainment. He needed to be on their good side, which via the generally accepted business culture they operated in meant he needed to periodically wine and dine them. 

“Come on, one drink won’t hurt,” Shim Changmin, a tall investor from Songpa, said from across the table. 

Junmyeon’s mouth formed a thin line. He was annoyed and uncomfortable. 

“I’ll take the CEO’s shot,” Chanyeol said from further down the table. He had already taken most of Junmyeon’s drinks for him and was quite red in the face.

“That’s the spirit!” Kibum yelled.

The table turned their attention to Chanyeol, leaving Junmyeon a moment to stew in his discontent. Thankfully, he hadn’t thrown up all day, but that didn’t mean his pregnancy wasn’t messing with him. He felt like he had to pee constantly, which was embarrassing, considering he was running to the bathroom more frequently than the men who were guzzling alcohol next to him. He had felt tired all day too, not to mention annoyed that Sehun would be waiting for him at his apartment. He moved most of his stuff in that morning. 

Kibum’s elbow suddenly contacted Junmyeon’s ribs. “Hey, hey, Park’s a great guy. You need to promote him.”

“Yes, he is.” Junmyeon was genuinely grateful for Chanyeol and Baekhyun, who was also taking the shots Junmyeon couldn’t in an attempt to appease the investors. 

“We should go do karaoke after this,” Kibum said, scooting closer, his arm going around Junmyeon’s shoulder. 

Junmyeon gritted his teeth. If he didn’t know better, he would assume Kibum was hitting on him, but he was well aware that it wasn’t possible. Since university, they had known each other, Junmyeon near the top of their business class while Kibum was perpetually near the bottom. Kibum was a trust fund kid, a human, and he was very much married to a man named Choi Minho. 

“Karaoke!” Another one of the investors shouted. 

Junmyeon glanced around, hoping the older investors would turn down the idea. When none of them did, Junmyeon muttered a weak agreement. He sighed as the table erupted into cheers. 

Junmyeon was lost in his misery when the blood link simmered through him, the emotions rolling under his skin. He tensed, bracing himself. The heat and anger pushed through him, a sensation that could only be interpreted in one way. 

_ Jealousy.  _

Junmyeon felt it so strongly it was disorienting. He looked towards the small restaurant's door, shocked to see Oh Sehun standing there, staring daggers at Kibum. He was dressed in a long thin coat, hair slicked back, his suit on. He looked like he had come from his office, and Junmyeon, in all his misery and confusion, could admit he looked devastatingly handsome– and pissed off. 

He had no right, Junmyeon thought, scooting an inch closer to Kibum as he looked away from Sehun. He had no right to act jealous of Junmyeon’s relationship with anyone. 

His attempt to ignore Sehun lasted less than a minute. Oh Sehun was not someone who was used to being ignored; he grabbed the table’s attention right away as he approached. It was Baekhyun who greeted him first, loudly, his energy in overdrive from drinking. 

“And who might this be?” Kibum asked, not removing his arm from Junmyeon.

“You’re the Director of VIVI Entertainment, are you not?” One of the investors said, his tongue loosened by the booze. 

“I’m terribly sorry if I am interrupting anything.” Sehun smiled, looking charming. Junmyeon rolled his eyes. “Yes, I am. My name is Oh Sehun, is it is a pleasure to meet you.” He bowed, the perfect show of polite behavior. 

“What a nice young man,” someone to Junmyeon’s left mumbled.  _ If they only knew. _

“Are you here to scope out the competition?” Kibum asked. 

“No. Not exactly.” Sehun’s gaze was dark and warm and very much fixed on Junmyeon. “I came to take CEO Kim home.”

“Home? What?” Kibum chortled. “You guys are friends?” He looked at Junmyeon. 

“Is there a merger in the works?” one of the older investors asked, leaning forward. 

Junmyeon wanted to punch Sehun then and there, but he couldn’t. “No merger. Only a friendly little chauffeur job. Nothing business-related.”

“Chauffeur job,” Sehun repeated slowly. 

“Yes. He drives me places. Helps him get to know the city as he only recently returned. Anyway, I am terribly sorry, but I think I am going to have to call it a night. It has been a pleasure dining with all of you. Wolf Entertainment couldn’t be successful without your continued involvement. From the bottom of my heart, truly, I owe you all so much.” Junmyeon got misty-eyed. He knew Chanyeol and Baekhyun were probably internally groaning at his sudden mushiness. He was about to launch into more expressive words of gratitude when half the table bid him farewell– he was bringing the mood down. 

Junmyeon managed to slip out of the restaurant a few minutes later, with deep bows and a huge thank you to Chanyeol and Baekhyun. From there, he stepped out into the cold night air, Sehun waiting for him on the sidewalk. 

“What are you doing here?” he hissed. 

“I’m your chauffeur, remember,” Sehun drawled, heading for the car. 

Junmyeon gritted his teeth, stomping after him. 

  
  
  


“You’re exhausted,” Sehun said a few minutes later. “You’ve been at work since six this morning.”

Junmyeon glared out the window, staring off into the passing dark cityscape. “I run a company; that’s how this works.”

Sehun sighed. He flicked on the blinker; their exit was coming up. 

“How did you figure out I was there?” Junmyeon asked, snapping his neck to his left to stare at Sehun. “And why did you think you had the right to interrupt. Those are my investors. The dinner was important and–”

“I was worried about you. I could feel how uncomfortable and tired you are. And knowing you, I guessed you were going to try to endure it. Thought I might be your easy way out,” Sehun explained. 

Junmyeon turned away. He went back to staring out the window, chewing on his bottom lip as he considered what Sehun had just told him. He bristled at the way worry seemed to naturally attach to a sense of ownership, a sense of deep feelings that Junmyeon wasn’t about to entertain. In his tired state, it made him more irritable, but at the same time, much to his horror, a part of him – probably the godforsaken omega part of him– preened at the attention– at the fact that his mate cared. 

_ Ugh.  _

Junmyeon had the simultaneous urge to pull Sehun into a kiss while also pushing him far, far away. It was maddening–  _ this thing _ , this feeling that threatened his sanity, ached in his chest, a shameful bruise on his heart that needed to be cured before it darkened. 

“I picked up some dumpling soup for you,” Sehun said quietly. “In case you’re still hungry.”

_ His favorite food. Fuck.  _

Junmyeon wanted to cry for about five different reasons. 

  
  


The moment the door was shut, the two of them alone in Junmyeon’s apartment, the tension was palpable. Junmyeon supposed the whole blood-link-share-feelings thing was partially to blame. He had felt what Sehun had, the worry, the relief, the damned affection, and come out the other side. And now that they were alone, he could feel the burgeoning arousal, the want, the need, and knew that the feelings were not entirely from Sehun alone; his own arousal was thick between them as well. 

_ He wanted. He needed _ . Later he would blame it on his changing body and shifting hormones, but at the moment, he didn’t need a justification to pull Sehun into a scalding kiss. He licked inside Sehun’s mouth, his tongue sliding against teeth as they kissed deeply. 

It was worse there was something natural about the way their mouths slotted together, the way Sehun’s hands found Junmyeon’s waist, resting in the place they had touched dozens of times over the preceding months. 

Junmyeon moaned into the kiss, body growing warm as he pressed his chest against Sehun’s, needing the contact. Sehun tasted good, like the mints he liked to pop. Junmyeon rolled his tongue along Sehun tongue, tasting and savoring. 

Sehun backed them up down the hall, careful not to break the kiss. When they both had to come up for air, their foreheads were tipped together, breathing mingled. Junmyeon felt shaky, overwhelmed at their connection as he always was.

“I know we–” Junmyeon inhaled a shaky breath. “We don’t have to anymore.” He was pregnant, there wasn’t a reason for them to sleep together. 

Sehun answered by pressing his lips to Junmyeon’s, hands sliding down to palm Junmyeon’s ass through his dress pants. The path to Junmyeon’s bedroom was heated, lips moving together, hands searching, tugging at clothing as they went. 

When they reached the bedroom, Junmyeon went to work stripping off his shirt, Sehun busy with his pants. Junmyeon had his dress shirt half off when Sehun pulled him in for another kiss, like he couldn’t stand the thought of not touching him for too long. 

Sehun sucked Junmyeon’s bottom lip into his mouth before kissing the corner of his mouth, then moving to his jaw, teeth grazing skin as he began to suck a line down the column of Junmyeon’s neck. When Sehun’s lips and tongue brushed against the mating mark, Junmyeon felt slick leak from his backside, his breathing punched out of his chest. It felt so  _ right _ , Sehun’s soft lips on that place that Junmyeon had thought reserved for a lycan. 

Sehun hooked his thumb on the waist of Junmyeon’s pants, sliding against the heated skin. 

“Want you,” he husked against Junmyeon’s neck.

Junmyeon’s only answer was a whimper, his nerves alight. His nipples stood erect, skin flushed as they fell into bed, Sehun helping Junmyeon out of the remainder of his clothes before stripping off his shirt and climbing in. 

Junmyeon let his legs fall open, air hitting his slick-wet hole. His dick was hard, flush against his stomach, pre-cum glistening at the tip. In the dim light of the bedroom, Sehun looked like sin, broad shoulders, lithe, his movements fluid as he moved between Junmyeon’s open legs. 

Junmyeon reached for Sehun’s, his hand cupping Sehun’s cheek as the vampire leaned in to kiss him. From there, it was a heated trail lower, lower, until he was sucking one of Junmyeon’s nipples into his mouth before lapping at the hard bud. 

Junmyeon rolled his hips up, chasing any kind of friction. Sehun seemed happy to give him what he wanted, palming Junmyeon’s cock, squeezing lightly as he traced Junmyeon’s nipple with the breadth of his tongue. 

There had never been a desire so strong, not to Junmyeon. He could never have anticipated the pull Oh Sehun could have over his body, the way he could touch him, kiss him, drag him close to the edge, and leave him wanting for more. A desire that was shared, that was intertwined, the hardness of Sehun’s length brushing against Junmyeon’s thigh confirming it. The lust was overpowering, simmering low in Junmyeon’s core before spreading outward, creating a hunger that only Oh Sehun could sate. 

Sehun kissed down Junmyeon’s abdomen, almost reverently as he neared that place where their child was growing. The realization made Junmyeon’s breath hitch, tears prickling the corners of his eyes. 

_ Their child. A part of him. A part of Sehun.  _

Before the misery and regret could completely overtake Junmyeon, he felt Sehun’s hot breath along his cock, followed by the wet of his tongue. Sehun sucked Junmyeon in, his tongue massaging the underside of Junmyeon’s dick. 

Junmyeon curled his toes, his muscle tensing. Sehun’s mouth was warm and wet, the pressure just right as he swallowed Junmyeon down. If he wasn’t careful, he would come like this, shooting into Sehun’s mouth. 

When Sehun traced a finger along his puckered hole, Junmyeon keened. “I– I.”

Sehun pressed the tip of his finger in, Junmyeon’s back arching. He sucked in his bottom lip and tried to focus, not wanting to come so soon. Not yet. He wanted to come with Sehun inside him, fucking him open. If this was the last time they slept together, he was going to make it count. 

Sehun worked him open with one finger, then two, Junmyeon dripping slick onto his thighs and the bedsheets. 

“Sehun,” Junmyeon rasped.

“Tell me,” Sehun whispered along the inside of Junmyeon’s thigh, tongue lapping at the dripping slick. 

“Fuck me, please fuck me.” Junmyeon knew Sehun wanted it as much as he did, he could quite literally feel the desire that had coursed through the vampire. He could feel the sharp-edge of lust as Sehun positioned himself between Junmyeon’s legs, lining his thick cock up with Junmyeon’s wet hole.

With their mysteries, their pain and regret, those dark eyes were back– albeit the sadness seemed diminished at that moment. As Sehun pressed his cock inside of Junmyeon’s passage, it was the burning need that was reflected in Sehun’s eyes. 

They moaned in tandem as Sehun pressed inside, not stopping until he was balls deep inside of Junmyeon. He gripped Junmyeon’s hip with one hand, rocking back on his bent legs, moving his hips back before snapping them forward. 

Junmyeon gripped Sehun’s forearms, fingers pressing pink crescents into his skin as Sehun fucked him open. The stretch felt good. He clenched, body wanting Sehun’s cock to stay inside, snug, tightly inside of Junmyeon’s passage. 

Sehun moaned, tilting his head back to expose his neck. Junmyeon could make out the pink marks from where he had broken skin on their wedding night, tasting Sehun’s blood before slipping into heat.  _ My mate.  _

Junmyeon cried out, breath hitching, core tensing as Sehun thrust in deep. When he fell forward, the angle changed, Sehun’s dick driving relentlessly against Junmyeon’s prostate. 

“So pretty for me,” Sehun rasped, the sheen of sweat thick on his brow. He pressed kisses to Junmyeon’s face, gentle and reverent, stilling inside for a moment before he pistoned his hips. From there, it was a fever pitch, the crescendo approaching, Junmyeon’s muscles tightening. 

“Going to–”

“Come for me,” Sehun husked, thrusting deep inside. When the head of his cock hit Junmyeon’s prostate, Junmyeon saw stars. He came, his release shooting onto his stomach. 

Sehun followed seconds later, Junmyeon clenching around his dick, milking him of his release as his hips stilled, a strangled moan spilling from his lips. Sehun’s release spilled deep inside Junmyeon, filling him with warm spurts as they rode out their orgasms together. 

Their mingled breathing filled the room as they came down from their high. The exhaustion that had plagued Junmyeon all day returned to him full force, joining the boneless, fucked out feeling that had taken over. 

Sehun was gentle, pressing kisses to Junmyeon’s brow, to his cheeks, to the tip of his nose, before he pulled out. “I’ll get something to clean you up,” he said gruffly, slick and cum thick between Junmyeon’s thighs. 

“I want the soup, too,” Junmyeon reminded him, stifling a yawn. 

Sehun smiled, chuckling lightly. “Anything you want, your highness.”

  
  


Sehun didn’t ask if he could sleep in Junmyeon’s bed. Technically the offer had been for the guest bedroom, but after bringing Junmyeon soup and cleaning him off, he slipped beside the lycan without a word. Junmyeon wouldn’t have said no even if he had asked, much to his chagrin the thought of sleeping without Sehun next to him was unappealing. 

Junmyeon was too tired for shame as he curled up to Sehun’s side, resting his head on the vampire’s chest. He closed his eyes, too exhausted to list all the reasons he shouldn’t take comfort in this. Sehun wrapped his arm around him in a way that almost felt protective, holding him tight. 

“If you get too tired tomorrow, please try to rest,” Sehun said quietly. 

Junmyeon hummed against Sehun’s chest in acknowledgment. 

“Call me if you need anything. I don’t know a lot about lycans when they are um, well…” 

_ Lycans. Vampires. _ Junmyeon sighed, eyes still closed. “What was it like, before the truces?”

It was one of many questions he had. Questions he meant to ask when the time was right, when he could find the right moment for them not to seem out of place. Laying together, half asleep, musing over lycan pregnancies, seemed like as good of a time as any. 

“Violent,” Sehun said, voice low. 

Junmyeon opened his eyes, staring into the darkness. 

“A lot on both sides died. The only thing we could agree on was that humans are dangerous to both of us.”

Junmyeon’s finger traced a pattern on Sehun’s skin, two circles. Sworn enemies.  _ Natural enemies _ . Those were the terms often used when lycans and vampires were talked about. Luckily for Junmyeon, he had grown up during a time of relative peace, the truce keeping them from war. Animosity was the worst he had to deal with, at least until the entire mess he currently found himself in. 

“You must hate lycans,” Junmyeon said, the words weighty on his tongue. A cold fear settled against his ribs.  _ You must hate me.  _

“The same could be said of you and vampires,” Sehun countered. 

_ I don’t hate you, and that is the problem. A huge problem.  _

When Junmyeon didn’t speak, Sehun rolled over, jostling him until they were lying on their sides, face to face. 

Sehun reached for him, cupping Junmyeon’s cheek with his hand. “Look at me.”

Junmyeon stared into Sehun’s eyes, feeling the hot puff of Sehun’s breath tease against his lips.

“You can see it, can’t you?” Sehun whispered. 

“See what?” Junmyeon swallowed.  _ See the sadness? The regret? Whatever else it is that sits inside of you, so painful it is hard to look at? _

Sehun leaned in, pressing his lips against Junmyeon’s. It wasn’t a heated, lust-filled kiss. It was soft and gentle. When it ended, Sehun caressed the side of Junmyeon’s face with his hand, looking at him with an unreadable expression for a few long seconds. 

“Goodnight, Junmyeon,” Sehun whispered, turning over. 

“Goodnight,” Junmyeon said, yearning to ask Sehun to hold him. Instead, he turned over, putting his back to the vampire, and pulling the blanket up over his ears. 


	16. Chapter 14

The dizziness returned to Kyungsoo in waves, each day worse than the last. The vomiting came too, even with the medication he was taking. He upped his blood intake, so he was getting some nourishment, but it didn’t seem to matter; what he ingested left him. 

He was losing weight, the circles under his eyes were getting worse. It seemed that each day became a little more violent, more severe, creeping up on him throughout the morning until, by the lunch hour, he needed to close his eyes so the office walls would stop swaying in front of him. That was how Sehun found him a few days after he learned of the connection between Lu Han and Kim Minseok. 

“You look like shit. What’s wrong?” To the point, un-sentimental, classic Sehun. 

“Nothing.” Their relationship hadn’t been the same since the night at Sehun’s apartment, not even close. Sehun acted like nothing had changed while Kyungsoo acted like everything had changed; together, they met in the middle in some awkward ground of indifference. 

Kyungsoo snapped his eyes open and tried to focus on Sehun so he wouldn’t pass out. He had taken the medication that Kim Minseok had given him that morning. He was suspicious of the man, but he was still taking the herbal concoction he supplied, mostly because he felt he had no other options. Nothing but Chanyeol’s blood had worked for him, and Park Chanyeol had made it clear he was no longer an option. No, that wasn’t the case. Kyungsoo had made sure that wasn’t an option. It was Kyungsoo who had burnt that bridge.

Kyungsoo decided if he was dying, if this mysterious illness would permanently kill him, he needed to stay alive long enough to find out what exactly was going on with Lu Han, Minseok, and Yoo Yeonseok. He owed that much to Sehun, to himself, to the people around him. 

Even then, he realized his stubborn resolve to survive was likely a sense of misplaced loyalty– Sehun had made it clear that things could change, after all.  _ Whatever _ , he could be foolish too. 

“Doesn’t look like nothing. But okay, let’s pretend it is. In that case, I need you to do me a favor,” Sehun said, perching on his usual spot, the corner of Kyungsoo’s desk. He spoke without waiting for Kyungsoo to agree to it, confident he would go along with whatever he was asking. “I need you to supervise the movers that are taking my wardrobe over to Junmyeon’s. They are supposed to be there at three. I’d do it myself, but as you know, Yifan is threatening permanent death if I’m not on the conference call with Beijing at that time.”

“Okay.” Kyungsoo would have nodded, but he guessed moving his head might make him faint. 

“Thank you,” Sehun offered up a rare piece of gratitude. He hopped down from the desk. Before he left, he turned, giving his friend a curious look. 

“We should find a night to hang out, just us. We don’t do that anymore,” Sehun said softly. 

“Yeah. Sure.” Kyungsoo would say anything to get him to go away.  _ Leave before you realize how sick I am.  _

Thankfully, it did the trick. Sehun turned and walked from the office before realizing anything was amiss. Once he was alone, Kyungsoo closed his eyes once again, willing the dizziness away. 

  
  


Kyungsoo managed to make it to Junmyeon’s apartment approximately three minutes before the movers arrived, their arms heavy with garment bags, the sheen of sweat heavy on their brows. He did his best to direct them using the instructions Sehun had texted him– the guest bedroom, the closet in the back of the apartment, no, not the one near the larger bathroom. If you see the painting of the sailboat, then you’ve found it. 

It was busywork, nothing incredibly difficult about standing and watching people haul in expensive suits and bags containing t-shirts that cost more than some people’s monthly salaries. Kyungsoo milled about the living room, his eyes roaming over the clutter. Junmyeon was definitely messy, though he must have some kind of cleaning person as there was a semblance of order to his junk. 

Kyungsoo shuffled over to the large floor to ceiling windows, the same type that tens of thousands of apartments all over the city had as their selling point– river views, nightscapes, overlooking the park– and pressed his hand against the cold glass. Thankfully he was feeling better. Or at least he had been. A few seconds after his skin made contact with the cold window, he felt crawling vertigo begin, slicing through him in delicate but pointed thrusts. 

“Sir, we’re done,” a voice called from behind him. 

Kyungsoo didn’t dare turn around; he was too afraid he would fall. “Very good. Thank you. You may go.”

He listened, eyes closed, waiting for the door to shut. He waited until he was absolutely sure he was alone. Only then did he allow himself to fall to his knees, the palm of his hand sliding hard against the windowpane until the wool of his dress pants frictioned against the warm wood of the living room floor. 

Kyungsoo’s brow pinched, a throbbing settling behind his eyes.  _ Hunger _ . He was so, so hungry. Flashes of Park Chanyeol danced in his mind. Sensations, the feeling of the lycans skin, hot and blood warm under his fingers. The way his skin shivered under the scrape of Kyungsoo’s teeth, the taste of his blood, thick and sweet, and deliciously heavy on Kyungsoo’s tongue. Kyungsoo bunched his fingers into a fist, muscles tensing, the world spinning, his head thundering. 

Was this what death would be like? An itch he couldn’t scratch, an insatiable hunger, a pain that knew only one cure, a cure that he would shove away from him time and time again. 

The sound of the door opening caused Kyungsoo to open his eyes, his neck stiffening. Footsteps, soft footsteps on the warm wooden floor. 

He could smell something faint. 

Kyungsoo tried to stand, but his legs wouldn’t cooperate. He staggered, falling to his knees with a thud. He cried out, a strangled noise that sounded not unlike a wounded animal. A wave of scent hit him, an odor that was so violently different from Park Chanyeol’s it made Kyungsoo gag. 

Kim Junmyeon rushed towards him, his eyes wide. 

“Kyungsoo,” he called, looking panicked. 

Another waft of Junmyeon’s scent and it was too much. Kyungsoo wretched, vomiting onto the floor before his body went limp, his world darkening into nothingness.

When Kyungsoo awoke, he was terrified, the memory of Sehun’s lycan husband returning to him in a rush. He bolted up, lips parting as he gasped, almost as if his body was taking over from the last moment it was aware, his unconsciousness only a momentary pause. 

“Kyungsoo, it’s okay.” Junmyeon was next to the bed, seated on a small stool. He held his hands out in front of him like he was trying to calm a wild animal. “You’re safe.”

Kyungsoo pressed his back to the headboard. He clutched the blanket to his chest, eyes scanning the room. He blinked, processing the scene before him. He was okay. Awake. Alive. He felt… not great, but not horrible either. The hunger wasn’t as bad as it had been, and he wasn’t dizzy. Junmyeon still smelled awful (Kyungsoo belatedly wondered if that had to do with the pregnancy), but not enough to make him vomit. 

“Is Sehun here?” Kyungsoo asked, suddenly putting together the what-ifs. He had been sick in front of Sehun’s husband. If Sehun knew he fainted…

“No, not yet.” Junmyeon gave Kyungsoo an appraising look. “ _ Why _ ?”

Kyungsoo cursed that Junmyeon was too smart for his own good. He had to be blunt with the lycan or risk having his secret revealed, which he wasn’t ready to do quite yet. There was too much he didn’t know, too much he wanted to find out before he laid his cards on the table. 

But could he trust Kim Junmyeon? Probably not. There was extraordinarily little incentive for the lycan to help Kyungsoo with anything. He had practically tried to murder him with a stare when he found out about his involvement with Chanyeol. Yet he would need to take a chance. It was the only thing he could do; ask Junmyeon to stay quiet and hope it worked. 

Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “I um..” He could do this. “I’m sick. Very sick, and Sehun doesn’t know the details. I don’t want him to know.” Kyungsoo fixed Junmyeon with a neutral stare.

Junmyeon didn’t say anything. He seemed to be mulling it over, turning over the implications in his mind. He was a consummate businessman, trying to work out the net benefits of each potential outcome. 

“How bad is it?” Junmyeon asked. 

“It could be…” Kyungsoo swallowed. “I might not recover.”

Silence descended again, a long stretch of it that had Kyungsoo considering what to do if Junmyeon wouldn’t agree to keep his secret. 

When Junmyeon did speak, it wasn’t what Kyungsoo was expecting. “Does Chanyeol know how serious it is?”

Kyungsoo looked away, fixating on his hands, clasped neatly on the bedcovers. “No, not exactly. He thinks I got better,” he answered, his voice low. “And he doesn’t need to know.”

“You know he–“ Junmyeon started, only to be interrupted by a very loud and very familiar voice booming from another part of the apartment. 

It was Sehun, voice staccato as he mocked a familiar television show from decades before. “Honey, I’m hoooooomeeee.”

Kyungsoo and Junmyeon locked eyes; it was a long second, several possibilities hanging in the air between them, not one of them decided. And then it was over, Kyungsoo leaping out of bed, Junmyeon shuffling the stool to a corner of the room, both doing their best to make it look like they had most definitely not been doing what they had in fact been doing. 

A minute later, when Sehun arrived in the room, he found his husband and longsuffering servant carefully perusing his newly organized wardrobe, their heads together. 

Sehun raised an eyebrow at the scene. “You guys are friends now?”

Kyungsoo and Junmyeon turned their heads in unison. 

“No,” they answered, making Sehun guffaw, slapping his knee like it was the funniest thing he had heard in ages. 

  
  
  
  


Kyungsoo drank three pouches of blood before leaving Junmyeon’s apartment; Sehun kept shoving them his way once he announced he was hungry. He would never have mentioned his hunger if he wasn’t afraid he might faint on his way out, needing at least some explanation in case the worst happened. 

“You have to remember to eat,” Sehun clucked his tongue at his friend.

_ If he only knew  _ Kyungsoo thought. 

Junmyeon, thankfully, remained quiet on the matter, at least while Kyungsoo was present. He sat on the sofa, a laptop perched on his lap, bottom lip jutted out in a slight perma-pout as he worked. Kyungsoo hung back, noticing how Sehun, who was also busy working on his own computer for all intents and purposes, spent more time stealing glances at Junmyeon than looking at his screen. 

It made Kyungsoo’s chest tighten, made him feel regretful and melancholy to see Sehun, who, until a couple months ago, was also blissfully unattached, in a new world that didn’t involve Kyungsoo. He wasn’t jealous; it wasn’t that. He was… He…

_ Park Chanyeol. _ An impossibly wide smile. Walks in the rain. Stupid movies and easy mornings in bed. A dimple that would come out when Kyungsoo made one of his rare jokes in a monotone voice. Fruit Loops for breakfast with the maze on the back of the box being finished every time Kyungsoo looked, Chanyeol shrugging when Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. The smell of his shampoo, the way he wore those ridiculously baggy sweatshirts, his soft hair and–

“I’ll be going. Thank you,” Kyungsoo said quietly. 

“Hm.” Sehun looked away from Junmyeon long enough to say, “Bye. And hey, we’re good, right?”

“Yeah. Sure,” Kyungsoo yelled over his shoulder, his socked feet padding along the carpeting toward the front door. 

  
  
  


Whether fated or one long insufferable accident, the world could be immeasurably cruel at times– Kyungsoo was very aware of it. Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed the happy couple who walked past him, the smaller man chatting happily, his arm intertwined with that of a tall gentleman. Kyungsoo didn’t catch what they were saying; he didn’t really care. Kyungsoo was too busy replaying where he fucked up, what he had yet to do, and what he might still do assuming the disease didn’t deliver permanent death upon him before he was able. All the while hoping he wouldn’t faint. The blood he had sucked down at Sehun’s seemed to take, settling warm in his stomach, giving him more energy than he had in days. 

“Kyungsoo.”

There was no mistaking that voice. 

Kyungsoo stopped walking. It was evening; the streetlights had flickered on while Kyungsoo walked. The sidewalks were busy, but when were they ever not busy in a city such as this. He turned around, and suddenly it was all there— _ the scent. _

Chanyeol stood arm in arm with a beautiful man, who Kyungsoo quickly assessed was an omega lycan. He looked from Chanyeol to Kyungsoo, smiling warmly. 

Of all of the thoughts Kyungsoo could have had at that moment, the one that came first was  _ this is what he should be doing; this is what he needs, not me. _ So why did it feel so awful?

Kyungsoo thought he should be polite, but he was never good at small talk. “I was just at CEO Kim’s,” he said, “Sehun had some things delivered.”

“Ah. I see.” Chanyeol nodded. 

Seconds passed; the tension thick. The man was still looking between the two of them, clearly expecting some sort of introduction. 

“Goodbye then,” Kyungsoo said quietly, turning around and resuming his walk towards the nearest station. 

  
  


The report arrived in Kyungsoo’s inbox later that evening. He had paid a ridiculous sum of money to expedite the analysis– which he would never have done if he hadn’t thought the implications could be severe. He had sent one vial of blood that had been delivered to his apartment from the local blood bank, and one vial of the medication Kim Minseok had provided to treat the illness plaguing Do Kyungsoo. 

The laboratory was in China, a place that he could  _ almost  _ claim to trust. At the very least, he knew they were discrete and accurate. They didn’t care what the story was, where the samples came from. They would do anything for money. 

Do Kyungsoo opened the PDF, eyes scanning the Chinese Characters, the bold headings, the compositions he would have to cross-reference to fully understand. The main result was highlighted in bold, red letters: Aconitum, more commonly known as Wolfsbane. Positive in both samples. 

Aconitum, otherwise known as Wolfsbane or Monkshood or about twenty different other names throughout the span of time and location. An effective poison that had been used since prehistory. 

Kyungsoo chewed on his bottom lip, reading the words slowly a few times for good measure. He would have to do some more research, but he had an inclination the substance could affect vampires similarly to how it affected humans— it was highly toxic and often fatal. He faintly remembered hearing of vampiric metabolism of the substance many decades ago, something he barely paid attention to at the time. 

He was being poisoned. Presumably, since he had returned to Joseon. And by Kim Minseok, no less. But why? He had nothing to do with the man aside from his association with Sehun? 

Kyungsoo frowned and folded his arms against his chest. What was motivating Kim Minseok? And just who was pulling the strings? He had his doubts Kim Minseok had a vendetta against him. Probably. 

  
  


⁂

Junmyeon hated secrets almost as much as he hated Baekhyun's eating habits, which was to say he enjoyed both as much as most people enjoyed root canals. Secrets were like festering wounds in a relationship, the rot, and disease worsening until that was all that was left. He understood their occasional usefulness, especially in the world of business or non-personal relationships. Still, when it came to secrets with people he cared about, his feelings were far more complicated.

The only thing between Sehun and him were secrets, it seemed. Kyungsoo was only the latest. Not telling Sehun was easy. Junmyeon had a lot he hadn’t shared with the vampire. It was easy because they weren’t in love. They weren’t even  _ in like _ . They were, at most, in lust. Not telling Chanyeol, on the other hand…

Junmyeon jumped when he felt arms encircle his waist, Sehun hugging him from behind. A puff of hot breath tickled his cheek.

“What are you worried about?” Sehun asked.

“I’m—” There was no use lying about the emotion; the blood link would betray him. He could keep the details secret, the emotions however… “Work.”

He settled into Sehun’s arms, his back going flush against Sehun’s chest. It felt safe and comfortable.

“What about it?”

Junmyeon sighed. “Too many things to name.”

Sehun hummed like he knew the feeling. At least they had this in common, this chaotic mess of an industry.

“Yifan asked me if you’d let Jongin do a single with Lu Han,” Sehun said. He pressed a soft kiss behind Junmyeon’s ear a second later, which absolutely felt like bribery.

“I don’t know...” They weren’t in the habit of working with other companies, especially not ones that were engaged in tabloid warfare only weeks prior. 

Sehun nipped at Junmyeon’s ear lobe before kissing his neck.

“Please,” Sehun murmured. 

Junmyeon felt the blood rush to his cock. It didn’t seem to take much anymore... if his body had seemed hyper-sensitive to Oh Sehun before his pregnancy, it was now in an almost perpetual state of arousal. Junmyeon was horny, horribly so whenever his mate–– er, Sehun, was in proximity.

Sehun smoothed his palm over Junmyeon’s still flat stomach, and it did something to Junmyeon’s omega. Junmyeon wanted to fall to his knees. To submit in a way that was so fundamentally unlike him it was borderline terrifying. Everything about this felt right. Like the pieces of a cosmic puzzle finally put in place, slotted together with himself as the sun. Except not. 

His mate was a vampire and wasn’t his mate. The child he carried– who knew what it even was. His marriage was a sham and there was no love between them. 

Lust. The only thing he couldn’t deny was the lust.

“I think we should discuss this in my room,” Junmyeon rasped.

Sehun chuckled, the sound of his laugh now so ingrained in Junmyeon’s mind he swore it was one of his favorite sounds.

“Lead the way, your highness,” Sehun said, stepping back.

  
  


Junmyeon’s aching jaw did not agree with his decision to swallow the length of Sehun’s hard dick or his decision to suck along the length, but the whispered praises that followed kept Junmyeon going despite his body’s protests. He knelt in front of his bed, one hand splayed on Sehun’s thigh, another sheathing Sehun’s dick.

Sehun watched him, his fingers carding into Junmyeon’s hair, his cheeks flushed pink. Junmyeon tongued along the underside, paying attention to the little noises of pleasure that spilled out of Sehun’s mouth. The salty taste of pre-cum was thick on his tongue, sliding against his taste buds. 

He felt slick leak out of his hole, wetting the space between his thighs. He was hard, his cock leaking at the head. Junmyeon hummed along Sehun’s cock before letting it slip between his spit slicked lips, pumping along the length once, then twice. He stared up at Sehun, taking a few seconds to just  _ look. _

Sehun’s hand slid down Junmyeon’s cheek in a touch that was soft, almost reverent. It made Junmyeon’s heart do a  _ thing _ that wasn’t welcomed.

Their clothing had long since been discarded, joining the general mess of the bedroom. The lights on the nightstands were on; across the room the door from the en-suite bathroom was open, the light shining in. The television was on but muted. The room was chaotic and messy, and neither of them could care less because, at that moment, the only thing that seemed to matter was that they were there together. 

Junmyeon pushed up on his knees, Sehun leaning down, their lips meeting in a warm press before Sehun’s tongue slid into Junmyeon’s mouth. Sehun’s hands found Junmyeon’s side, urging him up, up, until he was falling back on the bed, Sehun crawling between his parted legs.

Junmyeon rolled his hips, chasing friction, moaning into the kiss when his erection pressed hot and hard against Sehun’s. He explored Sehun’s back with his fingers, his nails raking into Sehun’s skin, tracing the muscles he had started to memorize, that he had begun to feel misplaced ownership over. 

_ No, no, no.  _

They knew their bodies now, what the other one wanted, the places to touch, the places that dragged out cries of pleasure. Sehun swirled his tongue languidly over Junmyeon’s nipples, smiling seconds later as his action had the predicted effect. Junmyeon tipped his head back and exhaled. 

Sehun took it slow, teasing with his tongue until Junmyeon grew impatient, urging him onto his back with a whine and a hard push. When Sehun’s back hit the mattress with a bounce, Junmyeon could only smirk. 

“I should be afraid, shouldn’t I?” Sehun said, quirking his eyebrow.

“Probably.” Junmyeon straddled Sehun’s thighs, his slick rubbing against Sehun’s skin. He smoothed his palms over the expanse of Sehun’s chest, his palms dragging against Sehun’s erect nipples, Sehun biting back a moan at the friction. 

Junmyeon leaned in, sucking a mark at the base of Sehun’s throat, tongue lapping against skin, teeth dragging. Memories of the place where he had drawn blood during their wedding ceremony flashed in Junmyeon’s mind. The blood link– the reason everything was so intense between them. 

Sehun’s hands had found their way to Junmyeon’s waist, lower, then lower, to his hips before smoothing down to cup and squeeze Junmyeon’s ass. 

When Junmyeon rocked back on Sehun’s hard and leaking cock they both stifled a gasp. Junmyeon had enough with the foreplay; it had lost its novelty. Lining himself up, he sunk down on Sehun’s length, head thrown back, lips parted as he took in Sehun’s length and girth. 

“Junmyeon, don’t hurt yours–“ Sehun choked on his words as Junmyeon took him all in, not stopping until he was fully seated. 

Junmyeon whined, slick gushing from him, warm around Sehun’s cock. He felt so full, so incredibly full, and he loved it.  _ It felt right _ . 

Junmyeon steadied himself, his hands on Sehun’s shoulders, and his body leaning forward. He bounced his hips, once then twice, breath hitching as he fucked himself up and down on Sehun’s cock. Sehun thrust upward, punching his hips up in time to Junmyeon’s movements until they had set a rhythm, both lost to the sensation. 

The fire burned in Junmyeon’s core, spreading out, his body consumed by it. It was distributed by every place Sehun touched him, every press of his hand to Junmyeon’s waist, moving to the searing fullness inside of him, to each press of their lips and the slide of their tongues. And the link between them made it burn brighter, made it blinding, all-consuming, so powerful that all Junmyeon could do was let it take him away until he was falling forward, sobbing, tears pricking the corner of his eyes, every muscle in his body going taut before the coil inside of him was ready to unravel.

Sehun flipped them over, Junmyeon landing on his back, Sehun still inside of him. It was probably slow, Junmyeon didn’t know. All he knew is that Sehun was still in him, that they were still touching. That his  _ mate _ was still there. 

The new position changed the angle. With each punch of Sehun’s hips, the head of his cock pressed against Junmyeon’s prostate. Junmyeon tipped his head back, sweat sliding down his brow. He sucked in a breath, his heart slamming in his ribs. 

_ Close so close. _ And then the fire exploded. The coil released, cum landing on Junmyeon’s stomach, on his chest. Sehun fucked him through it, finding his release shortly after that, his orgasm bright and blinding as he spilled inside of Junmyeon. 

And as he fell forward, his head falling against Junmyeon’s neck, he whispered a string of words that Junmyeon barely heard. A string of words that Junmyeon didn’t ask him to repeat for fear he had heard it correctly the first time. 

_ Wǒ ài nǐ _

Junmyeon pressed a kiss to Sehun’s brow but said nothing until a minute later when he whined for food, Sehun rolling his eyes and padding off towards the kitchen to fetch his favorite soup. 

  
  


“Has your mom been giving Toben all her attention again?”

“No!” Chanyeol answered, his brow pinching. 

“Hmm.” Baekhyun put his elbow on the conference room table and leaned his chin on his hand. He stared across the table at the Assistant to the CEO. “Then why have you been walking around here like a kicked puppy?”

“His mom’s been making him go on blind dates,” Jongin offered between bites of an apple. He sat further down the table; one of his feet was resting on the leather chair. 

“Dates?” Baekhyun wagged his eyebrows. “Done any knotting lately?”

“Shut up. Both of you.” Chanyeol shot them both warning looks. 

“Can you please remind me why I employ any of you?” Junmyeon asked from the head of the table, glaring over his laptop. 

“You can’t run an agency by yourself,” Baekhyun supplied. 

“I’m cute, and I know how to dance.”

“You’ve known me since I was born, and you’d feel bad if I didn’t have a job,” Chanyeol added.

“I didn’t actually need you to answer.” Junmyeon rolled his eyes. It was true that Chanyeol had been a mess lately, but who hadn’t been a mess, himself included. After all, his body was being extremely uncooperative with him. His hormones were a bit funky, his libido had been a bit difficult to control and—

“Are you going to mate with someone soon, Hyung?” Jongin asked. 

“No,” Chanyeol said. He stood up, the office chair rolling back and thudding against the wall. “No.” A wave of angry, annoyed alpha pheromones rankled the air. “Can you guys stop talking about my personal life? Please.”

He stalked from the room without giving anyone a chance to answer, slamming the door hard behind him. 

Junmyeon pinched his nose at the sudden wave of scent. Ugh, why did alphas smell so awful? Even with the mating mark, the smell was still just  _ ugh _ . 

It was rare to see Chanyeol angry. He cried about many things, but that was the big, happy-go-lucky-lots-of-feelings type of alpha he was. The actually mad, storming out of a conference room thing was out of character. 

“I think he might be going through puberty,” Baekhyun said. “I think our little wolf is finally growing up.”

“Wait, Chanyeol Hyung hasn’t gone through puberty yet?” Jongin asked, all wide-eyed naivety. 

“Baekhyun,” Junmyeon scolded, shooting him a dirty look. “Of course, he has gone through puberty, Jongin. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have presented as an alpha.”

Junmyeon stared out the glassed paneled conference room doors, towards where Chanyeol had stalked off to. He sighed. It had been two weeks since Do Kyungsoo had fainted in his apartment. Two weeks since he had known that the vampire was sick. Two weeks without telling Chanyeol. 

Junmyeon closed his laptop and left Baekhyun and Jongin behind, the sounds of the two playfully bickering growing faint as he trudged down the hall. 

He found Chanyeol in his office, playing a game on his phone. It made sense; he liked games, always had. He wanted to win games, specifically, the ego boost that came with victory a very stereotypical alpha trait. 

When the door opened, Chanyeol put the phone down, all of the anger gone from his features. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Junmyeon took a seat in one of the black leather chairs opposite Chanyeol’s desk. His office was small and neat, with lots of little framed pictures of family and friends. A few sports posters hung on the far wall. It was cozy, comfortable. It was Chanyeol. “I need to apologize to you.”

“For what?”

“I found something out, and I was asked not to tell you. So, I didn’t. But I think I was wrong.”

Chanyeol leaned in. “What?”

“It’s about Do Kyungsoo.”

At the name, he could see the change in Chanyeol’s demeanor. Hell, he could sense the shift in his scent. “What?”

“He’s still sick, Chanyeol.”


	17. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 chapter update today (chapters 15,16, and 17) bc I would fear for my life updating only to chapter 16 and leaving it there (:  
> Enjoy~

The man at the blood bank had been surprisingly easy to coax. Kyungsoo had threatened to lodge a complaint with the greater bureaucracy, which inevitably could lead to a licensure revocation. The vampire bureaucracy was a terrifying and powerful thing, one that no one wanted to piss off. The paperwork involved with a license suspension could take decades to get through, which is why that threat alone had the man stuttering out an apology about tainted blood supplies and Korean doctors of traditional medicines with hefty bribes that he was foolish to take  _ here let me give you the money I took _ . That was all that Kyungsoo needed to know– all trails lead back to Kim Minseok. 

Kim Minseok had been poisoning him, out of his own volition or under the direction of another, he wasn’t sure, but he was the source. He had left the blood bank determined more so than ever to hunt the man down, ready to corner him and find the answers he needed. 

Later that evening, when Kyungsoo was cleaning his glasses– the round, thick, black-rimmed things that Sehun called a crime to fashion– a knock sounded on his apartment door. He frowned. He wasn’t expecting anyone. If it was Sehun, he would have walked in; he knew the door code. If it was Jongdae or Yixing they would have called first. There was no one else on the very short list of people who knew where he lived, which meant anyone else who would knock on his door had to be a human who wanted something or was lost. 

Kyungsoo walked to the front door. He was clad in a long black t-shirt, red and green plaid boxers peeking out under the hem. He put his glasses back on, steadying them on his nose as he walked. It was almost midnight; who in the hell was pounding on his door at midnight?

He smelled him before he reached the door. 

_ Park Chanyeol.  _

Kyungsoo stilled, heart thudding. 

“Kyungsoo, I know you’re in there.” Chanyeol’s voice sounded raw and desperate. Strong with emotion. It sounded… How could it sound good?

Against his better judgment, Kyungsoo reached for the door handle. He unclicked the chain and opened the door a sliver, peaking out. He schooled his features into a neutral expression, hoping he looked bored and unaffected by the sudden visit.

Chanyeol looked anything but. His hair was a mess like he had dragged his hair through it too many times. His black sweatshirt was wrinkled, his jeans were torn (or was that the style?). His sneakers were dirty (maybe that was the style too? Kyungsoo was really bad with these things). 

“Yes?” Kyungsoo asked.  _ Why are you here? How did you figure out where I live? What about the pretty omega? _

“I love you. I’m  _ in _ love with you. I’m in love with you, and I knew it before I knew you were still sick.”

Chanyeol always had a confident edge to his words, which Kyungsoo had grown used to, but this was different. 

Kyungsoo blinked up at him.  _ Before I knew you were still sick.  _

He felt his grip on the door tighten involuntarily. How did he find out? Kim Junmyeon. It had to be. Did Sehun know too?

“Please, let me in,” Chanyeol said softly.

“What about–“

“It was a blind date, nothing more. I’m not seeing anyone.” Chanyeol could read his pettiness, his question, before he even asked it. 

Kyungsoo waited a few seconds before he gave in. He was afraid of what was to come, of what  _ could  _ happen. Of what  _ had  _ happened and the consequences he would need to face. 

“Okay,” Kyungsoo said. “Come in.”

He stepped aside, letting Chanyeol catch the door after him. 

He walked back into his apartment, into the space that still didn’t feel like home. It was in the same building as Sehun’s rented penthouse, several floors down, smaller because he didn’t need all the room. The space was impersonal, just a space to sleep and eat in, nothing more. The furniture wasn’t his, the art on the wall wasn’t his, nothing was his. 

Kyungsoo sat on the sofa. He looked at the ugly white coffee table, waiting for Chanyeol to come in and say whatever the hell he came to say. Whatever the hell he would have to figure out how to answer. 

Chanyeol, thankfully, didn’t sit next to him. Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if he could handle being that close. He took the chair a few feet away, grabbing the throw pillow and setting it on the floor. He leaned forward, like he was energized, unable to sit still. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Chanyeol asked. “You said you were better.” 

_ Good _ , Kyungsoo thought,  _ at least we don’t have to address the love confession right away.  _

“I  _ am  _ better,” Kyungsoo said, meeting Chanyeol’s eyes. “It turns out I wasn’t sick at all.” The question of who to trust had weighed heavily on him since he spotted Kim Minseok wearing a particular ring. That day he had made a choice that he had been unable to see through. Today, he decided he might as well seize the opportunity again. “I was never sick; I was being poisoned.”

Chanyeol’s lips parted in surprise. “What?”

“I was being poisoned through the blood bank and through medication that Kim Minseok was giving me to treat my illness, and potentially through other channels. Why, I am not certain,” Kyungsoo explained. “I have stopped drinking the blood that has been delivered to me and also stopped using the medication from Doctor Kim, and my symptoms have lessened.”

Chanyeol’s brow pinched. “Why would anyone want to poison you?”

“That is what I am trying to find out. I haven’t done anything worthy of being poisoned, but people I know probably have. The Yoo family is notorious.” Kyungsoo sighed. “I am guessing it has something to do with the blood curse, but I can’t find out anything about it no matter how hard I look. Or about something Sehun’s father may have done. He’s…” Kyungsoo swallowed. “He has a habit of doing things his own way. What I can’t figure out is why Minseok is doing the poisoning. He works for Yeonseok. I think. Unless Yeonseok wants me dead, but I don’t think so.”

“Maybe Minseok is upset?”

“Yeah. Maybe. Turns out he’s dating Luhan.” Kyungsoo watched as Chanyeol tried to process the information, brow pinching.

“VIVI’s Lu Han? Doctor Kim and Lu Han?” Chanyeol asked.

“Yes. Apparently, they were childhood pen-pals. The entire situation just gets weirder the more you dig into it.”

“I would say so.” Chanyeol scrubbed his face with his hand, looking overwhelmed. “Wait, is Junmyeon safe?”

“Yes, I think so. His brother is a doctor, and he’s been examined regularly. I don’t think Doctor Kim has done anything for him since the original fertility medication.” Kyungsoo sighed. “Chanyeol, please don’t repeat any of this. I need your help, I need some one's help to figure this out, but until we do–”

“I won’t tell anyone,” Chanyeol promised. “On one condition.”

“What?” Kyungsoo dreaded what that might be.

“When we confirm who poisoned you, I get to deal with them first.”

Kyungsoo blinked at him. “Why?”

“They hurt the man I love. They’re going to regret it.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Kyungsoo groaned. “Please, no alpha wolf posturing.” Kyungsoo threw his hands up in frustration.

Shit, they were going to have to talk about that part, weren’t they?  _ Them _ . Whatever that meant. Their interactions had been a mess. Kyungsoo had gone from blatantly using him for blood to using him for blood and sex to ignoring him to pining after him to missing him to–  _ ugh _ . 

Chanyeol, who seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve. Who was looking at him with so much damn honesty in his eyes?  _ Shit. Shit. Shit. _

“I need to be honest,” Kyungsoo found himself saying the words before he could turn them over in his mind. “I need to tell you everything before we go any further.”

Were they really going further? Was he really going to do this… Once given and then revoked, a death sentence had done something to him; Kyungsoo couldn’t pretend otherwise. It had made him think, made him consider things, consider what a future might look like if he had one. And now presumably, he had one– one that had shown up at his door like a neatly wrapped package, doing and saying everything so Kyungsoo had to do the bare minimum. He just had to say  _ Yes _ . Just had to tell the truth. And damn it, he would. 

“Go on,” Chanyeol said. “I’m listening.” He sat back in the chair. 

Kyungsoo took a deep breath. Where to even begin. 

“You might not like me after I tell you,” Kyungsoo warned.

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

Kyungsoo exhaled. “At the beginning, when we…” Kyungsoo gestured aimlessly.

“Had sex?” Chanyeol offered.

“Um. Yeah.” Kyungsoo feigned a smile. “I needed your blood. It’s unusually sweet for me. And for some reason, which I think I know now but didn’t then, it seemed to have therapeutic properties. It made me feel better. When I drank from you, I wasn’t sick.”

“So, you were using me for my dick and my magic blood. Got it.”

“Kind of?” Kyungsoo felt like an idiot. “Which is to say, I know I wasn’t very nice to you, but I’m not very good with things like feelings and relationships. I haven’t really had one, not a close one, not romantic, in, well... since becoming a vampire. Which isn’t an excuse for being shitty but might help explain why I am so bad at it. I’m sorry.”

“Okay. Why was my blood magic?” Chanyeol asked.

Kyungsoo was shocked. Chanyeol didn’t look angry, just… interested. He had his hands clasped together and appeared calm. 

“It wasn’t poisoned. Your blood is the only blood source I had that wasn’t poisoned. I think. Well, probably. I suppose some of the other blood sources probably weren’t poisoned as well.” Presumably, the blood he drank at Jongdae’s wasn’t poisoned. 

“Maybe my blood  _ is  _ really good,” Chanyeol offered with a wink.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “Yes, well. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I did that. When Doctor Kim told me I had a blood disorder and gave me medication, I told you we shouldn’t see each other anymore because I thought I would be better. I thought– “

“You didn’t need my blood anymore.” Chanyeol finished for him. “Wow, you really are a jerk.”

“Yes. I am.” Kyungsoo couldn’t disagree. “And then, after I realized that I missed you, that I liked you, that I honestly had feelings for you, that I trusted you, I realized I didn’t want you to have to deal with someone who was sick . And that as a lycan, the last thing you needed was a sick vampire at your side.”

“You made a lot of decisions for me,” Chanyeol said gruffly, folding his arms across his chest.

“I did.” Kyungsoo nodded. 

“But you forget I wanted it too,” Chanyeol pointed out. “I made a lot of my own decisions as well.”

“I guess.” It was complicated. It was all so complicated. 

“Do you love me?” Chanyeol asked. “I need to know that.”

Kyungsoo wasn’t sure what being in love really felt like. He didn’t have a neat definition to compare his feelings against. “I’ve never been in love, so I don’t know. I think I do. I trust you. I don’t want to lie to you anymore. I don’t want you to walk away,  _ I _ don’t want to walk away again.”

He said it. He laid himself out, vulnerable. Loyalty to his own kind, to Sehun and Yeonseok and everything else, be damned. 

“We have a lot to work on,” Chanyeol said.

“I know.” Kyungsoo had a lot to make up for. A lot to learn. About how to treat other people, about how to allow himself to be treated. But he was ready to learn.

“If you’re willing to work on things together, I want to be by your side.” Chanyeol looked at him, a flicker of what Kyungsoo could only identify as hope in his dark eyes. 

“Yes,” Kyungsoo said, voice soft. “Yes, I’d like that.”

Chanyeol’s mouth stretched wide, into one of his signature smiles, the kind that made Kyungsoo want to smile too. He did, allowing himself to feel a measure of happiness he usually tried to avoid.

“It won’t be easy,” Kyungsoo added. “I know it won’t. We’re so different. But I want to try.”

“Me too,” Chanyeol. “Kyungsoo, me too.”

Having a lot to work on hadn’t been a shortcut to Kyungsoo’s bed, at least that wasn’t the intent. It did end up being the outcome, however. Kyungsoo might consider it make up sex, except they hadn’t really been dating before. He wasn’t sure  _ what _ they had been before (were they dating now?). 

Sex between them had always been feverish, hungry. In Kyungsoo’s case, it was quite literal hunger; in Chanyeol’s, it was pure, unbridled lust. Love confessions and agreements didn’t seem to have changed that about them; they fell into Kyungsoo’s bed with the same type of unrestrained need from before. 

Clothing was discarded violently, fabric ripped. Kyungsoo’s hands wandered, his short nails raking over Chanyeol’s blood warmed skin, leaving light pink trails to prove he wanted to touch, to explore, to feel every inch of the lycan he had missed during their separation. 

Chanyeol reciprocated, smoothing his hands down Kyungsoo’s sides and palming his ass. Kyungsoo ended up pressed into the mattress, Chanyeol over him, kissing down his chest, his stomach, his lips and tongue tracing a line lower, lower, lower.

When Chanyeol pressed his teeth lightly into the skin on Kyungsoo’s hip, he keened, letting a moan escape his parted lips.  _ So good _ . Chanyeol’s scent was strong, sweet, and Kyungsoo was already hard, his erection laying against his stomach, pre-cum wetting the tip. Chanyeol kissed along Kyungsoo’s thigh, until he was licking along Kyungsoo’s balls, to his dick. 

Kyungsoo’s back arched off the bed when Chanyeol swallowed his cock, tongue massaging along the underside, hand squeezing Kyungsoo’s balls with just the right amount of pressure. He pressed his fingers into the sheets, warmth and arousal flooding through him as Chanyeol bobbed his head, sucking him off. 

Kyungsoo nudged him with his knee when he thought he was close. He didn’t want to come like that, not then. He wanted to come with Chanyeol’s knot buried in him. 

“Off, I–” He didn’t have to say it, Chanyeol seemed to understand. He moved back, giving the head of Kyungsoo’s cock one last lick before letting it fall from his mouth. 

Kyungsoo caught Chanyeol’s eyes and swallowed thickly. He was beautiful like this, lips wet with saliva, slightly swollen, eyes wide, cheeks flushed pink with arousal, hair messy. He looked like sex, he smelled like it too, and Kyungsoo– god, he wanted to taste. He wanted to taste him so bad, even if he knew it was probably the last thing he should be doing. 

“You’re gorgeous,” Chanyeol whispered, reaching for Kyungsoo’s hands to intertwine their fingers, apparently finding his own dose of appreciation. 

“Just fuck me,” Kyungsoo grumbled, suddenly embarrassed. 

Chanyeol chuckled darkly, going back to kissing his way along Kyungsoo’s skin. He moved away for a moment to get the lube that Kyungsoo told him was in the nightstand drawer, returning to resume his path up Kyungsoo’s body. 

When Chanyeol inserted a finger inside Kyungsoo’s hole, the vampire let out a long, satisfied breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. More, he wanted so much more. He felt like he was wound tight, full of emotions and confusion that he needed a brief escape from, and Chanyeol was the outlet that would allow him that blissful reprieve. And he was willing, oh so willing, and wanting to help. That was what they would do now, go forward together down the confusing, unknown path. 

Chanyeol worked him open with one finger, then two, in shallow, pointed thrusts. When he found Kyungsoo’s prostate, Kyungsoo cried out, toes curling. 

“Got it.” Chanyeol smirked, hitting it dead on again. 

Kyungsoo pressed Chanyeol off, back, not satisfied until he was flat on his back on the mattress. 

“My turn,” Kyungsoo rasped, straddling Chanyeol. He looked down, biting his bottom lip in concentration. He lined Chanyeol’s cock up with his hole and sank down, tilting his head back as he sunk down, a long, heady moan leaving him as he took all of the lycan in. Chanyeol cried out, saying something that sounded like  _ Kyungsoo, my god _ , but it came out all garbled.

Kyungsoo steadied himself on Chanyeol’s shoulders, nails digging in as he began to rock on Chanyeol’s cock. Chanyeol’s hands found Kyungsoo’s hips, his broad palms splaying against Kyungsoo’s tan skin. 

The tightness in Kyungsoo’s core was overwhelming, the heat and fullness he felt coursing through him tightening the coil. Chanyeol bucked his hips up, his thumbs pressing into Kyungsoo’s hip bones, eyes half-lidded, pupils blown with lust. It wasn’t slow, the pace they set, it was like they had both been starving, hungry for each other’s touch, and now that it was possible again they would take, take, take as much as they could as quickly as they could. 

Kyungsoo spotted the scar, the marks that he had made on Chanyeol’s neck, and his mouth went dry. He wanted... he wanted. 

Could they really communicate with just a look? Because Chanyeol was gripping Kyungsoo tightly, maneuvering him, scooting back until he was seated against the headboard with Kyungsoo on his lap, Chanyeol’s cock still buried deep inside him. His neck was more exposed this way, giving Kyungsoo better access. And Chanyeol tilted his head, exposing that spot, in time the sharp thrusts of his hips as he fucked into Kyungsoo. 

Kyungsoo placed his hand on the side of Chanyeol’s neck missing his scar, fingers pressing into the nape. And like a blur, he was moving in, teeth puncturing the skin, warm blood flowing into his mouth as Chanyeol fucked up into him. He would have moaned if his mouth wasn’t filling with blood, with the sweet blood that only Chanyeol had. The best taste in the dark world he had spent too long in. 

He felt the swell of Chanyeol’s knot only a few seconds later, and it was so fast after that, the press inside, Kyungsoo’s own release tightening tightening tightening in his middle until he was coming, cum landing on Chanyeol’s chest. Kyungsoo swallowed blood as he came, orgasm punching through him as Chanyeol’s blood sat heavily on his tongue, as Chanyeol’s knot forced open his hole wider until he was so deliciously full he could only rest his forehead on Chanyeol’s shoulder and moan noises of utter overstimulation. He had never felt anything like it, the release that shattered his soul, his world. He felt Chanyeol come in him in spurts, hot seed spilling inside of him, Chanyeol tilting his head back, crying out, loud, and wrecked. 

And then there was nothing but their breathing and the scent of sex and blood. Chanyeol pressed a soft kiss to Kyungsoo’s sweat-slicked forehead, unfailingly gentle. 

“I love you,” Chanyeol whispered. 

Kyungsoo couldn’t say it yet. He didn’t know how. Instead, he pressed a soft kiss to Chanyeol’s shoulder. It would have to be enough… for now.

  
  


⁂

  
  


The gel was cold on his stomach, making Junmyeon squirm. 

“Sorry,” Junseok mumbled.

Junmyeon was lying on an exam bed, wearing a horrendously ugly green patterned hospital gown. He was uncomfortable – his bladder was full; he had been directed to drink an absurd amount of water before the appointment. 

He had to come into the clinic for the ultrasound; Junseok didn’t have all the equipment to do it at home. Junmyeon glanced at all of the monitors, the little dials and cords and hoses, and was thankful for the umpteenth time it was Junseok that went into medicine, not him. 

“Will we be able to tell the sex of the baby?” Sehun asked. He was sitting on a stool next to the bed. When he found out that Junmyeon was having an ultrasound, he insisted on coming, freeing up his calendar to attend the appointment. Junmyeon kind of hated how much he liked having Sehun there, how that annoying little inner omega of his seemed to feel a sense of calm that his mate was with him when they saw their child for the first time. 

“No, not yet. Not for another month,” Junseok said. He had a white wand looking thing attached to a monitor. “This will allow us to see the fetus, though it will be minimal. We can make sure that the size and shape are normal and confirm the expected due date today.”

Junmyeon jumped when the equipment touched him, more out of nerves than any real discomfort. Sehun shot him a look as if to ask if he was okay; Junmyeon nodded. They turned their attention to the monitor, the black and white grainy image that looked like... well, to Junmyeon, it didn’t look like much. 

“Size is normal,” Junseok said, applying gentle pressure to the wand as he slid it over Junmyeon’s belly. “In line with a lycan fetus at this stage,” he added. 

The screen showed a white, grey, and black image that honestly could have been an inkblot. Junmyeon frowned and looked at his stomach. 

“Shape is perfect. Everything looks great.” Junseok smiled. “I think the original due date is still accurate based on what I see here.”

Four more months to go, Junmyeon mentally tallied.

“Can I have a picture of the ultrasound?” Sehun asked. 

Junmyeon snapped his head to look at Sehun, surprised at the question. He wanted a picture of–of– that unidentifiable thingy?

“Of course. I’ll have two printed up,” Junseok said. He pulled the wand back and reached for a towel, handing it to Junmyeon. “Everything looks wonderful. Your blood tests should be back later today, if there is anything out of the ordinary, I’ll let you know, but otherwise, you are extremely healthy, Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon feigned a smile. “Um. Thanks.” He grabbed the towel and began wiping off the gel. 

“I’ll be back with the pictures,” Junseok said, standing. “And feel free to use the bathroom.”

Junmyeon, with his full bladder, couldn’t have imagined more magical words if he tried. 

  
  


Sehun drove Junmyeon to his parent’s house after the appointment, his mother had insisted on another lunch date and Junmyeon and his current cravings were not about to deny the invitation. 

Before they left Junseok’s office, Junmyeon watched Sehun slip the black and white ultrasound picture in his wallet, smiling fondly at it for far too long before tucking it away. Junmyeon had glanced at his and put it in his pocket, dreading carrying the thing around. It wasn’t like he was keeping the baby. It wasn’t like he wanted to get attached. 

_ It wasn’t like… _ Junmyeon sighed. Maybe it was the aftereffects of a full bladder, a clinic visit, fucked up hormone levels, work stress, and the realization he was already attached that did it. The anger, the annoyance, all the unanswered questions had simmered long enough until he couldn’t handle it any longer. And of course, of all things, it was a relatively kind and sweet gesture by Oh Sehun that set Junmyeon off. They were parked outside of Junmyeon’s parents house when it happened. 

Sehun brought Junmyeon’s hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the back before whispering the words Junmyeon had continued to ignore against his skin. Sehun had yet to say them boldly, loudly, and that suddenly pissed Junmyeon off very much. Annoyed and angered him until his mouth was moving, and words were spilling forth that probably shouldn’t.

“Who is Lady Gaeul?” Junmyeon snapped.

He felt it at the same time he saw it—the surprise and fear that lit up Sehun’s features.

“How do you know that name?” he demanded. 

“Does it matter? Who was she?”

“It matters,” Sehun growled. “Who told you?”

“No one. No one told me.” Junmyeon looked away, partially out of annoyance and partly because he couldn’t take seeing the strong emotions on Sehun’s face. They were too raw, seemed to scream just how much this person had meant to him. How much more she meant than Junmyeon ever could. “I found a letter at your father’s house in the library. About her death. She was murdered by lycans.” The last word was like poison on his tongue. 

_ My kind. _

Sehun was silent so long Junmyeon looked back at him. He looked… confused.

“What exactly did the letter say?”

“Tell me who she was, first,” Junmyeon demanded, feeling pretty. 

“I think you can already figure out who she was,” Sehun said, acid in his tone. “Do you want to be upset, Junmyeon? Why do you want me to say it?”

Junmyeon snorted. “Why would it upset me? I was just curious.”

“What did it say?” Sehun repeated.

Junmyeon stared at the dashboard. He sighed. “Condolences of some sort. A note the lycans were dead. A poem. That’s it.”

“Go inside,” Sehun said.

“Bye to you, too,” Junmyeon spat, opening the car door and getting out. He slammed it shut a little too hard but didn’t regret it. 

  
  


“You’re really starting to show.” Junmyeon’s mother placed her hand on the tiny bump, her eyes bright. “And you said the morning sickness hasn’t been bothering you, right?”

“Yeah.” Junmyeon feigned a smile. He was standing in his parent’s dining room. He had never made it to the kitchen. His mother was too excited to let him get too far before she was hovering over him, asking him a million questions about how he was feeling, about the baby, and much to his horror, about Sehun. 

“Does he help you around the house?” she asked. 

“Mom, I never did anything around the house anyway,” Junmyeon whined. “Don’t make it sound like this is something it’s not.”

His mother tutted. “Don’t be cross with me. I’m just looking out for my son and grandchild.”

Grandchild.  _ Oh god.  _

Junmyeon felt bile rise up in his throat. “Do you have anything to eat? Veggies, preferably?” he asked, knowing the question would have his mother running to the kitchen, effectively putting some distance between them. He couldn’t take the sudden reminder that his family had no idea he had no intention of keeping the child. The thing inside of Junmyeon was no more their grandchild than it was Junmyeon’s child. He was a surrogate, nothing more, nothing less. It was spelled out in a neat little legal contract tucked away in a safe deposit box. 

Junmyeon knew he would have to tell them eventually before he was too far along. The longer he waited, the worse their disappointment would be. He would tell them. Later. But not yet. For now, he just had to get a handle on the pregnancy thing—one step at a time. 

“Are carrots okay?” his mom yelled from the kitchen. 

“Carrots are great,” Junmyeon yelled back. 

He looked down at the small bump. He smoothed his hand over the bump, his chest constricting. A pang of sadness rushed through him as he considered the child that he carried, the child that was half of him, half of Oh Sehun. 

“Now tell me all about your work,” his mother sing-songed, a bowl of carrots in her hand. “Your father will want to know everything when he gets home.”

Work felt like a safe topic. “Okay,” Junmyeon said. “Red Velvet’s recording a new album,” he started, sinking back into one of the overstuffed living room chairs. 

  
  


Junmyeon’s mother gave him a ride home, dragging a promise out of him that he would visit for dinner sometime next week. He entered the elevator carrying a bag full of side dishes and snacks; his mother insisted he take them even when he told her he had more than enough food at home (not to mention Sehun didn’t eat much in the way of non-blood).

It had started during the ride home, the simmering anger through the blood link—the frustration. Over time Junmyeon had learned how to recognize the origins of such emotions, no longer feeling like his own moods were being violently turned left than right without reason. Now he could tell that the anger he sensed was Sehun’s, not his own. Was it because of what they discussed earlier?

Junmyeon was lost in thought as he punched in the door code and slipped inside the apartment. He heard voices, not realizing that it was Sehun and Prince Yeonseok until he was shuffling down the hallway towards the living room. He was about to announce himself but stopped when he heard his name on Sehun’s lips. 

“If you push Junmyeon away, I’ll leave for China, and so help me nothing you say will make me return to this hell of a kingdom,” Sehun spat. 

Junmyeon had never heard him so angry, the rage in his voice unbridled, violent and raw.

“Why would I plant a letter and push away the best thing that’s happened to you in ages?” Yeonseok drawled. “Dear boy, I had enough trouble coming up with that ridiculous blood curse story to get you back. I wouldn’t jeopardize it.”

The sound of Junmyeon’s bag hitting the wood floor drew both vampires’ attention towards the door. Sehun’s eyes went wide as he realized Junmyeon was home.

Junmyeon hadn’t even realized he’d let the bag slip from his fingers. He was still aside from the thundering of his heart. “The blood curse is a lie?” he asked slowly, looking past Sehun to where Prince Yeonseok sat, his long legs crossed, his posture relaxed.

If it was a lie, there was no reason for his pregnancy.  _ None.  _

“I prefer the term fabrication,” Yeonseok answered. “Though I didn’t want you to find out this way.”

Junmyeon felt like the world would fall out from under him. A lie. He wanted to laugh. No cry. 

_ A lie. _

He looked into Sehun’s eyes, into the darkness, for a few painful seconds before he turned around and rushed for the door, tears already streaming down his cheeks. 

“Junmyeon,” Sehun yelled after him. “Junmyeon, I didn’t–”

A lie.

He was carrying this...  _ this thing _ . This thing he almost got attached to. This thing that was half-vampire. Half Sehun, someone he almost trusted, almost fell in love with. 

How stupid. How stupid he was. How wonderfully stupid and foolish and naïve and a thousand other horribly painful things. 

He brushed the tears away as he ran from his apartment, as he hailed a cab outside the building. He didn’t know where he’d go or what he’d do.

“Are you okay, sir?” the driver asked, making eye contact through the rearview mirror. 

Junmyeon nodded, brushing at his eyes with the back of his hands. “I will be,” he said, feeling like that too was one of the many lies that surrounded him. 


	18. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 chapter update today (15/16/17). Enjoy ~

They made it back to Chanyeol’s apartment a matter of minutes before Junmyeon showed up on Chanyeol’s doorstep, his eyes rimmed with red. 

They had rushed back in record time, prompted by a text. The look Chanyeol had given Kyungsoo after he read the message Junmyeon sent him told Kyungsoo something was terribly wrong. 

“I need to go home,” Chanyeol said, getting out of Kyungsoo’s bed and going in search of his clothing. “Junmyeon is going to drop by.”

“I’ll go with you,” Kyungsoo heard himself say. It was unlike him, so much so he surprised himself. 

Chanyeol stopped mid-reach, his hand a few inches from where his sweatshirt was lying on the floor. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I–” Kyungsoo rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t want to be apart. Not yet.”

Chanyeol had tried to hide the smile Kyungsoo’s words dragged out of him, but he failed. 

Kyungsoo may have asked to come, but he felt awkward and unsure of what to do once he was there. Once Junmyeon arrived, he felt even more out of place, the sight of tears streaming down Junmyeon’s face compounding the feeling. To top it off, he knew the lycan didn’t care for him, and quite honestly, he couldn’t say he really cared for Junmyeon either. Not since it became clear, Junmyeon didn’t keep the one secret Kyungsoo had entrusted him with. 

“Hyung, what happened? Hyung?” Chanyeol leaned down in front of him, his hands on Junmyeon’s shoulders. He looked scared. The text had been vague, indicating that Junmyeon was upset and had nowhere to go, but beyond that, no specifications were spelled out. 

“Why–” Junmyeon hiccupped a sob. “Is he here?”

“Hyung, please tell me what’s wrong.” Chanyeol ignored the vampire in the room and guided Junmyeon towards the sofa, his arm slung protectively over his shoulders. “Please. You’re scaring me.”

“Oh god, I.” Junmyeon wiped his eyes with the back of his hands. “I didn’t know where else to go. I shouldn’t be here.”

“No. No, don’t say that.” Chanyeol squeezed his shoulder. “We’re best buds. Remember. Friends for life.”

Junmyeon nodded, fresh tears trickling down his cheeks. Kyungsoo watched him, chest tightening uncomfortably. 

“I can’t. I don’t.” Junmyeon sobbed. 

“Is the baby okay?” Chanyeol asked quietly, like the volume of the question would dictate the outcome.

“Yes. I... Chanyeol, he lied to me,” Junmyeon spat, sounding bitter. “I don’t. I can’t trust him.” He looked at Kyungsoo. 

Kyungsoo stared back, silent. He would mention the feeling was mutual considering Junmyeon had obviously told Chanyeol about his illness, but he bit his tongue.

Chanyeol crouched in front of Junmyeon, not looking back at Kyungsoo. He gripped Junmyeon’s hands. “Hyung, I need you to listen to me, please. I know you think I’m naïve and too trusting, but I’m not stupid. Kyungsoo isn’t going to hurt us; he isn’t going to hurt  _ you _ . He’s found out some things, and I trust him. If you know anything, if there is anything  _ you  _ found out that seems a little strange about Sehun, I think you should tell him.”

“He’s Oh Sehun’s minion,” Junmyeon said.

“And you’re carrying his baby,” Kyungsoo countered. Really, what could have happened? The last time he checked, Junmyeon and Sehun were getting along far better than anyone could have anticipated. 

Junmyeon looked away like he had been slapped. 

“I wasn’t ill; I was being poisoned.” Kyungsoo laid his cards on the table first as a goodwill gesture. I have no idea how much, if anything, Sehun knows about it.”

“He wouldn’t try to poison you,” Junmyeon said, but he looked uncertain. Like he had to really consider what he was saying and couldn’t be sure. 

“No, I don’t think he would. I’ve known him for a long time,” Kyungsoo agreed. 

Junmyeon wiped his cheeks with the back of his hands. He sucked in a deep breath. “What do you know of the blood curse?”

Kyungsoo walked into the living room and took a seat across from Junmyeon. “Not much. I’ve been trying to find out more, but I keep hitting a brick wall.” 

“Kyungsoo said the blood curse had something to do with your marriage. Is that true, Hyung?” Chanyeol asked, inserting himself into the topic. He shifted his position, so he was sitting on his knees next to Junmyeon. He put his hand on Junmyeon’s knee, squeezing it in a comforting gesture as if to say Junmyeon only had to reveal what he was comfortable talking about. 

Junmyeon nodded slowly. “Yes. I found out it was a lie.”

Kyungsoo’s brow pinched. “What?”

“Yeonseok made it up to get Sehun back in Korea. Or at least that is what he admitted this evening.” Junmyeon stared at the floor. “So, I guess there was no need for  _ this _ .” He gestured at his stomach. 

Kyungsoo let the information sink in. No blood curse… That would explain the absolute lack of information about it. But then what about the pregnancy? What was the point? All to get Sehun back? It seemed maniacal, too complicated. Too… much like something Prince Yoo Yeonseok would do. Kyungsoo tensed.  _ Damn him. _

“I think I need to speak to Sehun,” Kyungsoo said, standing up.

“No. No,” Junmyeon shook his head. “Absolutely not. I don’t want him to know where I am.”

Kyungsoo hesitated. “I understand.” He sat back down. 

“Do you need some water, Hyung? Tea?” Chanyeol asked.

“I think I need to lay down,” Junmyeon said.

“Yeah. Okay. Guest bedroom it is,” Chanyeol said, standing up to offer Junmyeon his arm. The guest bedroom was a tiny room tucked next to Chanyeol’s room. Kyungsoo had peeked his head in there a total of one time, enough to know that Chanyeol had posters of superheroes on the walls, and it needed a good dusting. 

Kyungsoo spent the few minutes Chanyeol was gone debating what to do next. All signs were pointing back to Yeonseok, leaving a terrible feeling in the pit of Kyungsoo’s stomach.

When Chanyeol returned, he slumped onto the sofa, looking drained and lost. 

“I need to go see Sehun,” Kyungsoo repeated. “I won’t tell him Junmyeon’s here, but I have to talk to him.”

“Kyungsoo...” Chanyeol hesitated. “Is it safe?”

“Yeah”

“We still don’t know who was trying to poison you,” Chanyeol pointed out. “Who was really behind it.”   
  


“It wasn’t Sehun. I know it.” Kyungsoo had doubts along the way, but hearing Junmyeon’s news solidified it. He knew without a doubt there was no way Sehun was involved in any of it, if anything he was probably as much a victim in it as all the rest, and knowing his history made Kyungsoo fear for how he was handling things. 

“I can’t lose you,” Chanyeol said gruffly 

Kyungsoo stood. He padded over to the sofa and leaned in, pressing a chaste kiss to Chanyeol’s lips. “You won’t.” He promised. 

  
  
  


Finding Sehun was surprisingly easy. Kyungsoo had wondered if he would go steal himself away somewhere, too pissed off and upset to be in familiar surroundings. He was still at Kim Junmyeon’s apartment when Kyungsoo got there. Thankfully, Prince Yeonseok wasn’t. If Kyungsoo had sensed the presence of such old blood, he wouldn’t have bothered going inside. He wasn’t quite ready to face the man yet. 

Sehun opened the door with a neutral expression on his face, not saying anything. 

Kyungsoo shoved his hands in his pockets and followed Sehun to the living room. The wall that Sehun had built around himself, the apathetic demeanor, crumbled when he sat. Maybe it was because Kyungsoo had known him for so long, because he had seen him at his lowest points, but he knew. He knew when Sehun sat, hugging his knee to his chest, that things were not okay. That he wasn’t indifferent. That something inside had shattered. He looked young, vulnerable, upset. 

“Well, say it,” Sehun said, staring at the cluttered glass coffee table. “Whatever you came to say.”

“I was being poisoned,” Kyungsoo said, voice steady. He watched as Sehun shifted in his seat, not looking up. Centuries never changed a person. He wondered if human Sehun had been this way too, or maybe if human Sehun had been different. Maybe human Sehun was the opposite, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was that vampire Sehun was consistently chaotic with a predictable defense mechanism.  _ He ran away.  _ Physically or emotionally, it didn’t matter. He shut down. He distanced himself. The mask had been put back in place. In a matter of seconds, he was guarded again. 

Sehun finally looked at him. “Why? Who?”

“The doctor who your father has been using was poisoning my blood supply and then poisoning the medicine he was giving me to treat the disease he caused in the first place. The same doctor that gave Junmyeon the medication to get pregnant.” At the mention of Junmyeon, he saw the anger set in Sehun’s features. 

“The doctor happens to be dating Lu Han to top off this entire mess.” Kyungsoo exhaled sharply. 

“Fuck,” Sehun hissed. “What in the hell is my father doing.”

“I don’t know, but it sounds like you just found out more of it tonight.” Kyungsoo leaned in. “Tell me, please.”

“Yeonseok made up the blood curse,” Sehun said. He snorted, shaking his head sadly. “He lied to get me back in Joseon. He said he missed me, that he thought Junmyeon and a kid would do me good. I’ve been, his words,  _ grieving for too long _ . He wants me to be happy.” The anger dripped from Sehun’s words, and Kyungsoo couldn’t blame him. It was presumptuous. It was all kinds of wrong, and it was precisely something Prince Yoo Yeonseok would think was a perfectly acceptable thing to do to get his son back. 

But he still had to make sure. He had to hear it from Sehun’s own mouth that he had no idea of any of it. “You didn’t know it was a lie?”

“How could I?” Sehun protested, his volume rising. “You think I would come here if I knew? You think I would dare come back to  _ this  _ place if–”

“Yifan told you to come here, and you came. And once you were here, your father told you about this and you agreed to it. The same day you agreed to it was the first day I was presumably poisoned. And when I asked you why you were going to get married, why you had to say yes, you just said  _ you had to _ .”

“You think I’m involved.” Sehun wasn’t asking.

“No. I don’t. But I also think you had your own reasons for coming back.”

“Like what? What could I possibly ever want to come back here for? I hate it here.”

“You did, at one time.” A flash of memory. Rain, sliding off green roof tiles. Blood… “I’m not sure that you hate it anymore.”

Sehun snorted. “Fuck you. Are you going to tell me he was right?”

Kyungsoo decided to ignore the anger. It wasn’t the time; they had to figure out what to do next. “Sehun, your father is obviously involved in all of this. Maybe it is as simple as him wanting you back. He never was the most caring or sane person when it came to chasing his own goal, or maybe it is something more sinister. Whatever it is, someone tried to permanently kill me, you were lied to, and you have one very upset pregnant lycan who looks like he is ready to never speak to you again.”

“Junmyeon,” Sehun said softly. The despair practically oozed from him. 

“Whatever bullshit you two want to believe about not liking each other is on you, but it is pretty obvious that you are crazy about each other. I haven’t seen you like this–” Kyungsoo caught himself before he said her name. Much to his surprise Sehun finished for him. 

“Gaeul. She’s what started it,” Sehun said.  _ He can finally say her name like it’s nothing _ , Kyungsoo thought. “Yeonseok was here because I asked him to explain why he had a letter in his library that said she was killed by lycans.”

Kyungsoo frowned. “What?” That was preposterous. Gaeul hadn’t been killed by lycans. Kyungsoo remembered it clearly. 

“Junmyeon found it.”

“But–”

“She wasn’t. It was a lie. I know.” Sehun pursed his lips. 

Kyungsoo mulled over the new information, turning it over in his head, trying to fit it together. Everything had changed– Yeonseok had been thrust to the forefront. He was an old, powerful vampire and his meddling was not something someone like Kyungsoo got in the way of. 

“We need to stop Doctor Kim and your father from doing any more harm,” Kyungsoo said. “I can deal with Doctor Kim, but the rest is on you. You’re going to have to make a decision.”

“What do you mean?” Sehun asked, like it had never occurred to him that a decision of any kind had to be made.

“Junmyeon. Your father. Figure out how you handle both.”  _ If it gets to be too much, will you run away? _ Kyungsoo stood. “And don’t go looking for Junmyeon tonight. I promised him I wouldn’t tell you where he was. I don’t want Chanyeol giving me sad puppy dog eyes.”

“And what are you going to do?” Sehun blinked up at him. “With your lycan.”

“He isn’t _ my _ lycan,” Kyungsoo corrected him. “I already made that mistake once. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

It wasn’t lost on Kyungsoo that this was foreign, that he was leaving Oh Sehun alone to face the consequences of his actions. For centuries he had always been next to him, ready to follow him down whatever path he decided to take– right or wrong. As Kyungsoo slid into his car, he felt a sense of newfound confidence, of pride, in the sudden separation. Their roads were no longer intertwined, not like they had been. At least not as closely. A sense of freedom overcame him, a sense of divorced purpose. Of his own identity.

It felt  _ good. _

⁂

It wasn’t like it mattered. Junmyeon wasn’t going to keep the baby. The blood curse wasn’t even a big deal. The debt he had agreed to repay was still valid, no matter what the precise details may be. Yeonseok needed a lycan to carry a child. Junmyeon was fulfilling that obligation. He had a neat, detailed contract stating just that. Blood curses or lack thereof be damned. 

So why did the knowledge the blood curse was a lie hurt so damn much? Why, Junmyeon wondered, did an ache settle in the middle of his chest, the tears seeming to push up endlessly as he hugged a pillow to his middle. 

_ It’s because Sehun lied to me. He used me. He lied to me _ .  _ It’s because I was foolishly allowing myself to grow attached. To trust him. _

Finding out the Blood Curse was a lie was the best thing that could have happened to him in all actuality; he should be rejoicing. Junmyeon needed this reminder, this rude awakening, to force him to take a step back and away from Oh Sehun, from his sweet words and promises. 

“Stupid pregnancy hormones,” Junmyeon muttered, laying the blame for his tears squarely on his recent biological chaos. 

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. On the nightstand next to the bed, a small lamp with an Iron Man lampshade cast a yellow light on the white walls and ceiling. The room was small, dusty, full of the random crap Chanyeol collected. It smelled like an alpha, but the scent wasn’t overpowering. 

Junmyeon sighed. Maybe if he had ended up with an alpha, just like everyone had told him to do, everyone had expected him to, he wouldn’t be stuck in this situation. But no. No. He never wanted that. Not the traditional way, at least. He wanted his job. He wanted to run his company. He wanted to live alone and not have to follow the role that the rest of lycan society had carved out for him. 

“I need to focus on work.” That was all he could do. Go back to the office and work until he couldn’t anymore. He’d have to start wearing bigger clothes and do what he could to hide his pregnancy once he began to show, but he could do it. He would work until he couldn’t physically work anymore. And then he would deliver the…the… And then he would go back to work. Go back to his life. Debt repaid. 

_ Swallow down the pain, Junmyeon. It will go away. Give it time.  _

Junmyeon closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. Focused on ignoring his own sadness as well as the faint thrumming of anger and melancholy that stirred deep within, passing through the blood link. In a few minutes, he was asleep.

  
  
  


Junmyeon arrived back at his apartment at five in the morning. When he checked his phone, he was surprised to see that Sehun hadn’t called once. His surprise quickly bled into confirmation that his feelings of sadness were misplaced– this was all really a great thing. His emotional entanglement with Oh Sehun was foolish at best, dangerous at worst. Still, he moved cautiously as he slipped inside, not sure what he would say if Sehun was still there. 

But he wasn’t. The little bits of him were– the shoes by the door with the backs pressed down– a habit of Sehun’s that drove Junmyeon crazy. The pouches of blood in the fridge, the handheld game that Sehun said he won at some arcade thing, were still tossed on the counter. His ugly purple sweatshirt (it’s designer!) was still lying discarded in the hallway, and Junmyeon was pretty sure if he cared to smell the cream-colored sheets of the bed they shared, he would smell Sehun there. But as for the man himself, he was gone. 

“Good,” Junmyeon shouted. “I would have kicked him out anyway.”

It saved him from having to have an awkward conversation, from having to handle the potential argument. Junmyeon forced a smile and stalked into the large en-suite bathroom. He turned on the shower and stripped off his clothing, letting the steam grow thick in the air before he stepped inside. 

Great. Wonderful. Lovely that Sehun had left. Hopefully, he would come back for his things soon. Now he could go back to work and live his life in the most uncomplicated way and–

He didn’t realize he was crying until he tasted the salt of his tears mixed with the shower's water. Junmyeon pushed his palm flat against the shower wall, letting the tears fall, alongside the rivulets of water. He braced himself until it became too much, and then he sank to his knees, letting an ugly, loud sob move through his body. 

  
  


“November seems like a good month for strategic conferences,” Eunji said. “Assuming we use the same offsite conference center.”

“I’ve been considering a virtual strategic conference this year,” Junmyeon said, not looking up from the presentation packet in front of him. He knew the marketing VP was probably giving him a funny look. She was a human, after all, and had no idea that Junmyeon was carrying a child, much less would be working remotely during November due to the delivery. 

“Yes, of course. We could do that,” Eunji said. “Just let me know if that is the method you want to utilize, and I can have the department get the materials ready.”

Junmyeon nodded. He flipped the page, asking a question about one of the distribution graphs at the top of the next slide. 

Work was therapeutic to Junmyeon. He had barely thought of Oh Sehun all day, not since his round of meetings and conference calls started, his schedule packed full, he barely had time to eat, much less mope around regretting his life choices. And he most certainly did not have time to stare at his phone and let the fact Sehun hadn’t tried to call him once sink in, at least not until it was eight at night and Chanyeol was carrying bags of takeout into his office. 

Junmyeon slammed his phone down and shoved it to the far corner of his desk. 

“I want to tour the new recording studio tomorrow,” Junmyeon said. “In the morning.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday,” Chanyeol said.

“So?” Junmyeon raised his eyebrow. 

Chanyeol didn’t say anything more, but he did stab at his takeout with a little more vigor than before. 

  
  


Junmyeon was back at the office by eight the next morning, dressed in a neatly pressed suit that Chanyeol had picked up from the Dry Cleaners the week before. He sat at his desk, sipping from a bottle of water, his laptop open in front of him. He’d already eaten half a bag of chips (stupid cravings) but was otherwise feeling great. 

_ Wonderful. _

_ Work as a distraction was great. _

Great to be in the office as the sun rose instead of back in his apartment where he would have still been in bed, sleeping in Sehun’s arms, not waking up until ten or eleven to laze about, if he had his way. Sehun kept scolding him for working too much, and even though he argued about it, he was more fatigued lately and let himself indulge in the rest. He could be in bed, his face buried in Sehun’s shoulder, the bed smelling like sex. And then when they both woke up, Junmyeon first, Sehun usually last, they would kiss, just lay around and kiss until they dragged each other from the bed and–

The realization he  _ missed  _ it, that he honestly missed it was horrifying. The knowledge that losing stupid Saturday mornings in bed with Sehun was that devastating to him made his skin crawl, made him feel sick. How had his priorities become so jumbled? Where had he gotten lost? When had being in bed with Sehun replaced work in Kim Junmyeon’s list of things-he-liked most?

_ Fuck. _

Junmyeon’s phone vibrated with a message. Like an idiot, Junmyeon picked it up with the small, silly hope it would be from Sehun. It wasn’t. It was from Chanyeol. 

_ Hyung sorry. Can’t make it today but I sent someone else to take you to the studio.  _

Junmyeon gripped the phone. He should just cancel. He didn’t need to tour it; it was all he wanted to do so he wouldn’t be at home thinking of what he wanted to be doing instead. The things he couldn’t do because Oh Sehun was probably a lying bastard. 

Ugh. Junmyeon waited, busying himself with other work until he heard the elevator ding around eight-thirty. Other people were coming into the office, of course. Still, the executive suite was mostly deserted this early on a Saturday morning other than his office– the others usually came in later, having been out dining with clients the evening before. 

Junmyeon didn’t look up when his office door opened. He assumed it would be Baekhyun or maybe even Jongin if he owed Chanyeol a favor or two. 

“You’re sad.”

Junmyeon snapped his head up at the words spoken in that familiar, insufferable drawl. Oh Sehun stood in the doorway, his hand gripping the door. He wore a baseball cap, t-shirt, and jeans. He looked… completely unbothered, which Junmyeon would have almost believed if he didn’t feel the tugging sadness through the blood link. 

“So are you,” Junmyeon bit back. “Which is funny considering you are the one who lied, moved out, and hasn’t even bothered to call me.”

The sadness flashed in Sehun’s eyes, alongside the regret– Junmyeon allowed himself one second to wonder if part of that now had his name on it too. If he was part of the things Sehun didn’t want to talk about. 

“Why are you here, Sehun?”

“I’ve come to take you to a recording studio,” Sehun said.

Junmyeon glared. Damn Chanyeol for meddling. 

“Fine. But don’t try talking to me.” Junmyeon stood up, letting his chair roll back violently. “And I’m driving.”

“Fine,” Sehun said, stepping aside. “Whatever you say.”


	19. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 chapter update today (15/16/17). Enjoy ~

“I’ll be okay,” Kyungsoo said for the umpteenth time. He turned the wheel left, towards the now familiar route to Kim Minseok’s clinic. “I won’t drink anything he gives me, and I’ve stopped drinking from the blood deliveries. Now stop asking me.”

“Can I punch him? Let me punch him,” Chanyeol said, also for the umpteenth time. 

Their conversation had been a repeat of Kyungsoo’s safety, Chanyeol’s desire to punch something, and a blur of okay-but-what-if for the better part of an hour. They were both operating off high adrenaline, the knowledge they were about to face down a crucial part of recent events making everything seem tenser, more anxiety-inducing, than usual. Chanyeol was practically bouncing in his seat, rattling off different approaches they could take. 

“I could body slam him into the wall.”

“No. Don’t do that.”

“Why?”

“Do you think that will make him tell us anything?”

“He can’t run then.”

“How about we just ask him first?” Kyungsoo sighed. Sometimes he had to remember they were very different creatures. Lycans and vampires approached situations in vastly different ways. 

“Okay, I twist his arms behind his back, and you punch his stomach.”

“No!” Kyungsoo scowled.

“Slap his stomach?” Chanyeol said weakly.

“Still, no.”

Chanyeol sighed. He threw his hands up. “Fine. We’ll do it your way, but if he lays a hand on you, I’m throwing him into something.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the faint blush that crept up his neck. He had to admit, having an alpha lycan going all _ grrr _ over him did have a relatively direct effect on his libido, as barbaric as it was. “I can throw him into something  _ myself, _ you know.”

Chanyeol didn’t argue the point. 

“You said you sent Sehun to take Junmyeon,” Kyungsoo said, changing the subject.

“Yeah. Assuming he believed my text was real and not a prank,” Chanyeol answered. “I know Junmyeon says he lied, but I think maybe they just need to talk.”

“I think you’re right.” Kyungsoo pressed on the brake, stopping for the red light. He glanced over at Chanyeol. He picked up his scent, the smell still unbearably sweet and alluring. Even if he was no longer suffering the effects of poisoned blood, he still felt a draw to Chanyeol’s that he couldn’t quite explain away. It tasted divine, and his scent was something else entirely. 

“Do you think he knew?” Chanyeol asked. 

“Huh?” Kyungsoo looked sheepish, turning his eyes back to the road. He had been caught staring.

“Sehun. Do you think he was lying to Junmyeon?”

Kyungsoo pursed his lips. He had seen Sehun’s heart ripped out once before, a pain that spanned hundreds of years. “No. I don’t think he was lying. I don’t think he knew.”

“I hope not. I don’t want to see Hyung hurt.”

  
  
  


Kyungsoo parked the car half a block away, not wanting to tip Kim Minseok off to their arrival. He wasn’t sure what, if anything, the man might already suspect. They walked side by side to the shop, their arms pressing together here and there, Kyungsoo wondering how much of it was by accident. When he looked over at Chanyeol, he felt a swell of relief that he wasn’t doing this alone, that someone was there, someone he could trust. 

The sign on the front of the store said  _ Open _ . Kyungsoo slipped inside first, Chanyeol after him. Kim Minseok emerged from behind the purple curtain as he had every other time the pair had visited, though this time, he looked less welcoming. He frowned, clearly surprised to see them.

“Mr. Do, Mr. Park,” he greeted, his lips morphing into a friendly smile a second later. “What may I help you with?”

Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “I have a few questions, Doctor Kim. I’m hoping you have answers for me.”

“About your medication or something else?” Minseok stood a few feet away, looking relaxed.

“I’ll get straight to the point. I know you’re in a relationship with Lu Han, and I know I’m not sick.” Kyungsoo saw a slight shift in Minseok’s demeanor as soon as he mentioned Lu Han’s name. “I think you can guess the other things we’ve come to discuss. Do you have somewhere we can speak privately?”

Minseok was silent for a long stretch. Kyungsoo watched him, ready to spring forward and give chase if he tried to run. Even if Kyungsoo declined all of Chanyeol’s offers of violence, he wasn’t about to let Minseok slip away. He was there to stop him from causing any more harm, which meant he wasn’t going to let him go free and clear. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Chanyeol shift on his feet, likely anticipating the same thing. 

Finally, Minseok spoke. “I want your assurance that if I tell you everything, Lu Han will be free to go, that he will be safe. You can do that, right.”

“I don’t understand,” Kyungsoo frowned. “Is he not  _ free  _ right now?”

“You really don’t know, do you.” Minseok sighed. It was a sad, desperate sound. “Promise me that you will protect his career, that nothing will get out about us.”

“I will do everything I can to protect him,” Kyungsoo said. “I can’t control all the press, but of course, I will do everything in my power.”

Minseok nodded. He seemed satisfied with the answer. “Follow me. This may take a while.” He walked to the door and flicked the lock, turning the sign to  _ closed _ . 

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol waited, trailing after him to the back room where they found a small table and chairs amid the shelves of medicinal ingredients. Kyungsoo slipped into one of the chairs. Chanyeol stood, shaking his head. “I prefer standing,” he grunted. 

Minseok took a seat. He clasped his hands together in front of him, his eyes trained on his calloused hands. The room smelled like sandalwood and spices, herbs, and unidentifiable things. It was dizzying. 

Kyungsoo spotted the ring on Minseok’s finger, the one that matched Lu Han’s. “Your ring,” Kyungsoo said, nodding towards it.

Minseok put his hand on it like he was going to try to hide it away but thought better of it. “A gift,” he said quietly. “From my boyfriend. A promise ring.”

_ From Lu Han.  _

Minseok sighed, settling back in his chair before continuing. “My family has always been shamans, spirit touched they call us. We’ve created medicines for humans, vampires, and lycans. Yeonseok has known of us for many generations. He is aware of something my ancestor had done, a child born of a vampire and a lycan. He wanted me to try to replicate that.”

“Which you did with the medication you gave Kim Junmyeon,” Chanyeol supplied. 

“Yes. But not willingly. My family swore to never again help create a vampire lycan hybrid. The first one…” Minseok shook his head. Kyungsoo noticed the way his jaw clenched, the anger practically radiating off of him.

“The first one  _ what _ ?” Kyungsoo asked slowly. 

Minseok bit his bottom lip, like he was debating if he should say more. Finally, he spoke, “The first one was created as part of a truce, centuries ago. The child ended up being more lycan, not a hint of vampire. The vampire genetics seemed not to be strong enough, at least not in that instance. And in the end, it became nothing more than a pawn for both sides; the vampires killed her before she reached maturity. My family vowed they would never do it again– be part of the political games. I would have upheld that vow, but Yeonseok found out about Lu Han. He used the person I love the most in this world to get me to do what he wanted.”

“He was blackmailing you with Lu Han.”

Minseok nodded. His hands were now clenched into fists, but he didn’t look ready to fight. He just looked… angry. Upset. Tense as he recalled the situation he was thrust into. “He threatened to end Lu Han’s career if I didn’t cooperate. He threatened to expose that he was gay if I didn’t cooperate, or worse to hurt him.” Minseok fell silent. Kyungsoo thought for a moment of a pressure cooker, everything building inside. There was a dark anger in Minseok, evident even as he sat in silence. A rage that had led him to poison, to try to kill. “I wanted to save him. I wanted to protect him. I thought if I could fight back–” He looked away, towards the shelf of medicinal ingredients. 

“You poisoned me to fight back, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I knew I had to cooperate with Yeonseok, to give him the medicine to allow for the hybrid– if I didn’t, he would have done something horrible. I couldn’t let Lu Han suffer. I  _ wouldn’t _ . Yeonseok let it slip that the father of the hybrid would be his son. I put the pieces together, figured out it was Sehun he was talking about, the same Oh Sehun, who was a Director of VIVI. I was so angry…” Minseok clenched and unclenched his fists. “I paid the blood bank to add the supplement to Sehun’s order, but it must have been added to your blood instead of his. I didn’t know until you came for the medicine and I saw that you were sick. Once I knew it was you, I kept it up. I thought it didn’t matter if it is you, not Sehun. Let them all die for what they’re threatening, what they would do to the person I love most.”

“Kyungsoo wasn’t the one threatening you,” Chanyeol said, an angry edge to his voice. 

“He is working for Yeonseok,” Minseok protested. “Does it matter if he wasn’t the one directly threatening me?”

“Yes, it does. You poisoned an innocent person. You could have killed him!” 

“Yeah, and now I’m sure you’ll kill me.” Minseok stared Chanyeol down. “Death seems to be the only thing vampires and lycans can deal in. Does it really matter who does the dying.” He glared at Kyungsoo in challenge.

Kyungsoo had no doubt Yeonseok would have leaned over the small table and ripped Kim Minseok’s throat out with one single, fluid motion, doling out the punishment in seconds. Sehun would probably be a little more tactful about it, maybe giving the man a day or two to say his goodbyes. Kyungsoo… he wanted to tell him to take Lu Han and run away. To close his shop, to leave. Go back to Beijing. That he had a right to be angry, that his anger was justified even if his actions were not. 

“I’m not going to kill you,” Kyungsoo said softly.

“You aren’t?” Minseok asked, looking surprised.

“You aren’t?” Chanyeol chimed in.

“No, I’m not.” Kyungsoo looked between Chanyeol and Minseok. “You will have to face judgment before the court and promise to abide by their ruling, but I will speak for you. I don’t want you to be punished, not with death. You were threatened into this and reacted because you felt cornered.”

“But I hurt you,” Minseok said, voice barely above a whisper like he couldn’t believe anyone could forgive him for what he had done. 

“And Yeonseok hurt  _ you _ . It has to stop somewhere.” Kyungsoo stood. “For now, I’ll need to take you somewhere where I can be sure you won’t run. I’m sorry, I know it isn’t fun to be locked up, but I can assure you it won’t be like a prison.”

Minseok blinked at him, his angry facade cracking, a sliver of fear appearing.

“Trust me,” Kyungsoo said. “As long as you can stand the color fuchsia, you’ll be fine.”

  
  


Two hours later, they had deposited Kim Minseok at Jongdae’s apartment with strict instructions to keep him under lock and key. Minseok looked infinitely relieved to see who his jailor was, since the two knew each other, at least on a cursory level. 

With the prisoner locked safely away in the comfortable guest bedroom, Jongdae made a show of looking Chanyeol up and down, even going as far as to nudge Kyungsoo’s ribs. “Nice catch, my friend.”

Kyungsoo glared at him, earning a high-pitched laugh. 

On the walk back to the car, Chanyeol looked amused. “That’s Sehun’s brother?”

“Yes. One of them,” Kyungsoo said dryly. 

“I like him. He’s fun.”

Kyungsoo answered with a heavy sigh. “I guess. If you like the hyper type.”

Chanyeol threw his arm over Kyungsoo’s shoulders and pulled him close. “Are you okay?”

Kyungsoo glanced up at him. Chanyeol looked oddly sincere and a little worried. “Yes. Just a little tired.”

“Let’s go back to my place and get you to bed,” Chanyeol said, putting all of the emphasis on the last word. 

“I like that plan.” Kyungsoo suppressed a smirk, leaning his weight against the tall Lycan. The bed sounded nice. Better than nice, actually. 

  
  


⁂

Junmyeon knew they wouldn’t end up at the recording studio. He had given up on that idea the moment he saw Oh Sehun standing in his office doorway, the crushing weight of his emotions traveling through their blood link. 

Junmyeon pretended, he was good at that. He pretended all the way to his car, that he was, in fact, going to tour the new studio and that he had no interest in hearing anything Sehun had to say to him. His façade crumbled before they left the parking garage. 

“Please, let’s go home,” Sehun said, his voice husky with emotion. “Please.”

He had run from his home only two days prior, run from it because of the same man who was now asking to return with him there. Junmyeon gripped the steering wheel, thankful he had insisted on driving so he would have an excuse not to look at Sehun. “Why did you lie to me? Why?”

“I didn’t. Junmyeon, I didn’t know,” Sehun said. “I had no idea he made it up.”

Junmyeon sucked in a breath. He knew he wanted to go home, more than he wanted to go to a recording studio to kill time. More than he wanted to be in his office. He wanted to be in his apartment with Sehun, being lazy, kissing and touching, and doing nothing because they could. He wanted. And wanted. But it wasn’t that simple. Nothing about their situation was simple. 

“I guess it doesn’t matter if he did make it up,” Junmyeon said. He assumed that voice, the one that Chanyeol called his “business” voice. Somewhere between peppy, self-assured, and borderline pissed off. “It isn’t like I was planning on being a parent. I don’t care what you plan on doing with the child. It doesn’t really matter to me the reason for it.”

The silence in the car was deafening. 

Junmyeon felt like he was stabbing a knife in. Twisting it. Jabbing it in again. “Another few months and we won’t even have to see each other again. No need to pretend like a few lies are a big deal.”

“Pull over.” Sehun’s tone was forceful. 

Twisting the blade, the sharp edge cutting, slicing. “Our kind never gets along as it is. We aren’t supposed to trust each other. And this–” The pain, the lump in his throat. It hurt. “Abomination that is in my body. Well, we can both forget about it soon enough.”

“God damnit Junmyeon, pull over,” Sehun yelled. 

Junmyeon pressed on the gas, pulling into a parking spot, and stepping on the brakes, the car lurching. His palms slapped against the steering wheel, body jerking against the seat belt. He violently shifted the car into park., feeling like, like– he felt like he could combust. Like he wanted to cry, scream, throw something. Run away, but not. Fall down, curl up into a ball. Cry.  _ Sob. _

And Sehun felt it all, the same way that Junmyeon felt the wave of sadness and regret and anger that came from the vampire. Junmyeon made the mistake of turning his head, and then it was inevitable. Sehun was leaning in, reaching for him. 

Junmyeon let out a sob, a broken noise that ended up muffled by Sehun’s shoulder. Sehun pulled him into as much of a hug as he could, given their awkward positions in the car, the two men clinging to each other, sharing things unknown to anyone but them. 

His shoulders shook as he cried, Sehun’s hand rubbing circles on his back. 

“Junmyeon, I love you. I love you so much,” Sehun said in broken whispers. “I didn’t know. Please believe me. Please.”

Junmyeon wasn’t sure how long they sat like that, his tears coming hot and quick, Sehun’s arms around him like if he let go, Junmyeon would drift off in some invisible sea. When he lifted his head, Sehun was pressing kisses on his brow, on his cheeks. 

“Let’s go home,” Junmyeon managed, leaning in to press his own soft kiss to Sehun’s lips. 

  
  
  


Junmyeon laid with his head on Sehun’s shoulder, his leg thrown over Sehun’s hip. Sehun’s arm was snaked around his lower back, his palm splayed around Junmyeon’s waist. The soft bedcovers were pulled around them, keeping them snug and warm. Junmyeon felt drowsy, he always did after crying. But he didn’t want to sleep, not yet. 

They had gone to bed as soon as they had gotten back to Junmyeon’s apartment. Junmyeon wasn’t sure if it was the nesting instinct his brother had talked about, but it was calming to him to be in bed, Sehun with him, holding him, their scents mingled. He felt safe and loved, even if they had so many things left to discuss. Even if he had residual anger that needed to be addressed.

The silence had to be broken; they both knew that. Explanations had to be given. Junmyeon didn’t want to shatter it, didn’t want to break the moment. He tried to hold onto it for a second more, keep it safe and guarded. 

But he knew he shouldn’t. 

He also knew saying it aloud wasn’t something he was sure he had the courage to do. Could he... could he really put words to it, admit it…

“Lady Gaeul’s father was called Bong-Han. He was a scholar at the palace,” Sehun spoke, his breath hot against Junmyeon’s forehead. Junmyeon listened in nervous anticipation, not lifting his head from its place on Sehun’s chest. “She grew up in a house not far from where Yeonseok had his compound, where I lived with my brothers. I met her a decade after I was turned. She was a human, had been betrothed to marry a court official, but he had died that winter from a disease that had made its rounds in the palace.”

Junmyeon tried to imagine what she might have looked like, what Sehun might have looked like then, centuries ago. How the city would have stood, smaller, the skies clear of smog.

“She was stubborn, argumentative. Yeonseok hated her, said she would bring nothing but trouble. She refused every man her father told her to marry and then some. And I was in love with her.” A sad, small laugh traveled through Sehun’s chest. “She tended to find trouble. But she was kind too.”

Junmyeon couldn’t help the curl of jealousy, hot and vicious, that unfurled in him. He hated that Sehun would inevitably feel it too, would know that he was dredging up the emotions in Junmyeon with his story. 

“I wanted to marry her. To turn her into one of us. I had Yeonseok’s permission, as long as she could accept us as we were.” Sehun paused. The sadness hit full force—the misery. Junmyeon pressed a kiss to Sehun’s chest, his hand rubbing a soothing path up Sehun’s arm as if to say  _ I’m here, it’s okay _ . 

“Yeonseok insisted we reveal our nature to her together, as a family. Gaeul was horrified. She ran, she called us monsters. She told me she never wanted to see me again. She changed after that. Became sad. Not a month later, she jumped from a cliff. It was suicide.”

“Sehun,” Junmyeon said softly. 

“The letter you found that said she died because of lycans was a lie, some practical joke played by a member of my father’s court. He’s been dealt with,” Sehun said, tone bitter. “The _ real  _ reason she died… She died because of me.” Sehun swallowed thickly. “I left Joseon after that. I told Yeonseok I didn’t want to come back, ever. I followed Yifan back to Qing when he went, and I never looked back. I didn’t  _ want  _ to look back. There was no use.”

Junmyeon lifted himself up. Reaching out, he cupped Sehun’s cheek with his hand, the darkness in Sehun’s eyes suddenly having a name. 

Sehun put his hand over Junmyeon’s. “My father seems to think that he could make up for the past. That if I blamed him for Gaeul, the reason I left, he could find me someone new to love, and I would forgive him.”

_ Did it work?  _ Junmyeon couldn’t ask it. Didn’t want to know the answer; he was too afraid he would hear confirmation that he would always be second place in Oh Sehun’s heart. 

“He lied and threatened people until he got what he wanted. Sweetened the deal with a kid, thought that might be an extra incentive for me to remain here with him. A grand apology,” Sehun whispered. 

“I feel like this should all offend me more,” Junmyeon said quietly, not breaking eye contact. “your father is an asshole.”

“A first-rate asshole.”

“But I can’t hate him entirely because he let me meet you.” Junmyeon regretted how raw, how vulnerable he let himself be with those simple words. For a split second, he felt like he had shown Oh Sehun every part of him, every aspect of his soul, down to the bare bones, the details of him no other person, vampire, or lycan had ever looked upon. It was terrifying to think about what may come next. 

“I realize now, looking back, what I felt for Gaeul was love, but not the kind of love that I had always assumed it was. It wasn’t–” Sehun’s gaze raked over Junmyeon’s features like he was looking for an answer there. “Junmyeon, you’re the love of my life. I’ve never felt anything like this before. I don’t even know what to call it.”

Junmyeon wasn’t sure if the noise he made was a happy or sad one, one of relief or joy– it was low in his throat, almost pained as he pushed himself up to press his lips to Sehun’s, needing more than anything to kiss him, to slide his tongue into his mouth, to share his hot breath, to feel him as much as he could. 

They kissed, like they had been separated for years, not days, and when they finally broke apart, it was like something new had been forged between them. 

“Me too,” Junmyeon said, barely above a whisper, his eyes raking over Sehun’s features. He didn’t know what to call it either; he was afraid to give it a name. He was embarrassed to give it a name– it seemed like something foolish to put a descriptor too. Fragile, too new, too tentative to possibly try to describe with one word. He could only agree, pressing his lips once again to Oh Sehun’s, letting the sensation sizzle along their blood link, the emotions they shared mirroring each other perfectly. 


	20. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the rest of the story (updating Chapters 18,19,20 and the epilogue today because why not:)

The fear that Chanyeol had shown when Kyungsoo visited Sehun the night Junmyeon arrived on his doorstep with tear-stained cheeks was nothing compared to the fear he displayed when Kyungsoo informed him he was going to Yoo Yeonseok’s home. When Kyungsoo announced he would spend most of the evening at Yeonseok’s compound, Chanyeol’s brow pinched, his jaw setting. 

“Why?”

“I have to go,” Kyungsoo explained, knowing very well it wasn’t a very good explanation at all. But it was hard to spell it all out for someone who wasn’t a vampire, someone who couldn’t fathom what a Prince of the Blood meant in the grand scheme of their society. Prince Oh Sehun was prepared to face his father, and Do Kyungsoo, as his servant, needed to be with him. Not only that, but the petition against Kim Minseok was to be heard, and Kyungsoo had promised him he would speak on his behalf. He had to be there. 

Chanyeol dragged his hand through his hair and glanced towards the window. They were in Chanyeol’s apartment; Kyungsoo found it infinitely more comfortable. It was strange, he thought, that at one point he couldn’t wait to run from the place after taking what he needed. Now it was quickly becoming his favorite space, more personal and cozier than anything his rented apartment possessed. 

“Call me when you’re done,” Chanyeol said.

“I will.” Kyungsoo got up from the chair he was sitting in and walked to where Chanyeol sat on the sofa. He slid onto his lap, taking the lycan by surprise. Chanyeol let out a little  _ oomph _ , but the smile on his face told Kyungsoo he was happy for the sudden closeness. He closed his arm around Kyungsoo’s waist, pulling him in. Chanyeol nuzzled against Kyungsoo’s neck, planting a soft kiss there.

“Are you busy tomorrow afternoon?” Chanyeol asked, pressing another soft kiss along the column of Kyungsoo’s throat. 

“No,” Kyungsoo answered, voice low. He relished the warmth, pressing into the touch. Chanyeol was always so warm. 

“I told my parents I would eat with them. If you’re not busy...” Chanyeol let the words drift off. 

Kyungsoo moved back in surprise, angling so he could look into Chanyeol’s eyes. “You want me to meet your parents?” It was a horrifying thought. 

“If it’s okay with you,” Chanyeol said, the confident edge gone from his voice. “I think they’d really like you. I promise they won’t be mean, and my mom is a good cook.”

“I don’t know.” Kyungsoo worried his bottom lip, a hundred disastrous outcomes racing through Kyungsoo’s mind. 

“Think about it.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Okay.” He would think about it. 

  
  


The ceremonies and rituals that dictated vampiric society were mysterious even to those who lived within their bounds. Kyungsoo couldn’t name the origins of the vampiric court system, and he highly doubted anyone would tell him if he asked. He did know just enough, however, to be able to understand he would need to speak out and ask for mercy for Kim Minseok, which he intended to do. Unfortunately, that statement would occur after he would stand at Oh Sehun’s side, an event that would likely put Prince Yoo Yeonseok in a foul mood and also sever Sehun’s power at the royal court. 

Kyungsoo picked Sehun up from Junmyeon’s apartment around seven in the evening; they made it to Yeonseok’s compound as the sun set, casting long shadows across the mountain roads. Kyungsoo could sense the shift in Sehun during the drive over; the traffic was backed up, which was usual for that time of day. At first, he hardly said anything, like he was considering what he wanted to say. Then it was like a dam burst, and he was telling Kyungsoo everything. Kyungsoo had told him all he had learned from Minseok over a long call the day before, filling him in on what his father had done. 

“I’m cutting contact with my father, for now. He can’t do things like this. I have to protect Junmyeon and the baby.” Sehun stared out the car window as he spoke, his leg bouncing nervously. “It’s obvious he has no idea how to respect my decisions, and it’s endangered people I care about.”

“I’m proud of you,” Kyungsoo said. Sehun had come a long way from the person who left Joseon so long ago. 

Sehun ignored the compliment. “I already told Yifan that I’m done with VIVI. It was never more than a diversion, yunno. Something because we were bored. I think I’ve gotten everything I want out of it.”

“What did he say?”

“He wants to keep it going in Beijing; he’ll buy out my shares. My resignation will be tendered effective next week.”

Kyungsoo pursed his lips. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I suppose I should hand in my resignation as well,” he mused. 

“If you want to.” Sehun pulled his phone out and checked the time.

“I’m not sure what I want to do,” Kyungsoo said honestly. “I think you and I are both in new territory here.”

“You’re my bodyguard; you have to do whatever I do.” And there was the bratty Oh Sehun that Kyungsoo knew so well. He shot a dirty look at Sehun, who chuckled in reply. “Do what you want. You’ve probably had enough of me over the years.”

There was a stretch of silence before Kyungsoo spoke. “I consider you a friend, Sehun.” 

“I feel the same.”

“Okay, that was too touchy-feely.” Kyungsoo squirmed in the driver’s seat.

“Agreed. Now let’s go piss my dad off.”

“Gladly,” Kyungsoo said, flicking on the turn signal as they reached their exit.

  
  


Prince Yoo Yeonseok had known it was coming. Just as Sehun and Junmyeon shared a blood bond, he shared something similar with each of his children, albeit it ran only one way. He could sense their feelings and had to have realized how furious Sehun was. A thrumming, secondary emotion was far different, however, than seeing unbridled fury firsthand. 

Prince Oh Sehun, son of Prince Yoo Yeonseok, a Prince of the Blood, ruler of Joseon, stood with his shoulders squared and his head held high. He didn’t cast a glance at the others who were present in the ballroom, seated around the long, carved table, his eyes were strictly trained on his father, and they were full of venom and hurt. 

Kyungsoo stood a few feet behind Sehun as was proper given his station in their undead world. He had his hands clasped in front of him, head slightly bowed as Sehun launched into a vicious verbal attack on his father, words steady and biting. And Kyungsoo loved every second of it. 

“I do not wish to be part of your royal court as you have made it very clear you do not value my opinion. You lied to my husband and me; you blackmailed a shaman, threatening a human’s livelihood which in turn could have endangered the secrecy of our kind. You indulged in blackmail that almost resulted in the permanent death of my most loyal friend and servant, a man who has served our family for centuries.” Sehun paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. “You jeopardized the health of my unborn child,  _ your grandchild,  _ without a thought or care for anything but your own selfish wants. And even now you have yet to apologize to me, to Junmyeon or to Kyungsoo. As is my right as your progeny, I divorce myself from this court.”

The stretch of silence in the cavernous space was especially dramatic. Kyungsoo dared to glance at Yeonseok, to note the expression on his face. The energy thrummed from him, it always did, he had such old blood after all. It was always dizzying to face him, but now there was an edge to the power, one that seemed, dare Kyungsoo admit it–almost sad. 

Yeonseok exhaled, his shoulders sinking. “I missed you. I did it because I missed you. Sehun, you’d been gone too long.”

Sehun didn’t say a word, but he didn’t look away from his father. 

“You blamed me for her death–”

“I didn’t blame you for anything, father. You decided I blamed you. You decided a lot of things, which is one of the reasons I have to take such drastic measures,” Sehun interrupted. “My own stubborn pain was not a good enough reason for you to do what you did.”

Yeonseok stared at him, looking at him almost like he was studying his face, looking for something there. Seconds stretched on, the time seeming much longer than it was. “Very well. It is your right to leave the court. I don’t understand why you’re doing it before the fate of the shaman is decided, however.”

“My last hope for you is that you’ll at least do  _ this _ right,” Sehun bit back, giving his father an icy glare. “Father.”

Yeonseok looked beyond Sehun like he was noticing Kyungsoo was there for the first time. He nodded at him. “I supposed you have something to say about it.”

“I do, Your Highness.” Kyungsoo stepped forward, still a foot behind Sehun, but a little closer than before. “Kim Minseok admitted his crimes and has shown remorse. I am sure Prince Jongdae can speak to this as well.” He glanced at the right side of the table, where Jongdae sat, nodding in agreement. “Minseok was driven by a very understandable motivation to do what he did, your highness. He was afraid for the person he loved and felt that he was protecting him. As the aggrieved party, I do not wish to see Kim Minseok face punishment for this act. I feel that the blackmail and threats he was privy to were enough punishment for him and that as long as he upholds the secrecy of lycans and vampires, he should be allowed to go free.”

“He attempted to cause permanent death,” Yeonseok said. It wasn’t a question but a statement. 

“Your highness, he was afraid,” Kyungsoo said.

“Fear is not a reason to murder someone,” Yeonseok countered. 

“Longing is not a reason to threaten someone, Your highness,” Kyungsoo replied. 

Yeonseok leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest. He pursed his lips, scrunching them to one side, considering. Kyungsoo waited, hoping against all hope that he would let Kim Minseok walk free. Jongdae had been keeping Kyungsoo updated on Minseok and was in agreement that he shouldn’t face any further punishment. 

Yeonseok could make the decision alone or put it to a vote; he had the power to do either. If he called a vote he would have to abide by the outcome, however. Kyungsoo looked at those seated down the long table, left and right. The royal court– still so many faces he did not recognize, scattered among the few he did. He doubted they would vote any differently than Yeonseok would. 

“Call it a goodwill gesture. I’ll let him go, but if he does anything against a vampire or lycan I will rip his throat out myself.” Yeonseok nodded towards one of the vampire servants stationed near the door. “See to his release,” he ordered. Looking back to where Sehun and Kyungsoo stood, he sighed. “And I suppose it is goodbye, for now. A pity. It was nice to have you around again.”

“Goodbye, father,” Sehun muttered. 

Kyungsoo offered a polite bow, stepping aside to let Sehun pass. He could hear the whispers, the chatter, but he couldn’t make out what was being said– not that it mattered. Sehun’s shoes squeaked on the parquet floor as he turned, his strides long as he stalked towards the door. Kyungsoo trailed after him, out of Yeonseok’s grand ballroom, into the royal compound's vast, winding halls.

⁂

It started innocently enough when he was staring off into space. The television was droning on, left on some channel that Sehun had turned it to god-only-knows-when. Junmyeon was lying in bed, a heap of blankets over him. It was too warm outside for so many covers, but the air conditioning was on, and he needed the gentle weight on him, needed to feel like he was wrapped up and nestled in. He also needed the scent, the one he wondered if Sehun even noticed– the one that was uniquely their scents co-mingled. It seemed to calm him when the anxiety and worry started to creep in, which it had done shortly after Sehun had left to go see Yeonseok. 

Junmyeon’s eyes had drifted to the particular corner where he had a bookshelf of clutter, not an unusual sight in his house despite his housekeeper's best intentions. He should probably get rid of it, he thought, since it was just taking up space. Besides, he probably should replace it now that the baby was coming, and a crib would probably–

_ Shit.  _

_ Shit.  _

_ Shit.  _

Junmyeon rolled over so he wouldn’t have to stare at the now offensive corner of his bedroom. He was just starting to accept the idea that he had feelings– deep, genuine feelings for Oh Sehun. Feelings that meant he didn’t want to break off what they had started once the baby was born. That, on its own, was a lot for Junmyeon to come to terms with. The baby…

_ A child. _ He hadn’t allowed himself to begin to think of how the child fits into this terrifying new world. If everything became real, presumably so did the life that Junmyeon carried, the one that he had convinced himself didn’t matter in any real emotional sense. But it mattered now, and he was going to have to figure out what that meant. He was going to have to figure out how it fit into the life he had built– how it slotted in between his career and his life with Sehun. 

Junmyeon put his hand on his middle, his palm resting on the small bump that had started to show. Fear had kept him from becoming too attached, but now that the fear was presumably misplaced, he felt like he should start to form an attachment– except he was still afraid. There was just so much he didn’t know. The what-ifs swam through Junmyeon’s mind, adding up, forming a neat, long list that he mulled over, trying to cross things off if he could, but he couldn’t. 

When Sehun returned a couple of hours later, he found Junmyeon was out of bed, sitting in the living room on his laptop. 

“Hey,” Junmyeon said, knowing he sounded as tired and frustrated as he probably looked. “How’d it go?”

Sehun leaned in, pressing a kiss to Junmyeon’s temple before taking a seat beside him. “As well as expected, I guess. He said he’d leave us alone.”

“Good.” Junmyeon didn’t want it to sound so indifferent, so soulless, but it did.

“I thought you’d be asleep. You said you were tired.”

“I am.” Junmyeon pushed the laptop away and pivoted to look at Sehun, turning his body slightly. “I have a lot on my mind.”

Sehun raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

It was useless to pretend with him; their blood link wouldn’t allow it. Their relationship was transparent to a degree most people’s wasn’t, which Junmyeon found to be both a blessing and a curse at times. “I was thinking about the baby. About the contract.” Junmyeon sighed. “About  _ us _ .”

“Are you having second thoughts?” Sehun asked. 

“No.” Junmyeon reached for Sehun’s hand, grasping it lightly with his own, wanting some physical contact with him as they talked. “Just letting things sink in. I hadn’t thought about being a parent. It’s going to change some things.” Junmyeon rubbed the pad of his thumb along the back of Sehun’s hand. “I hadn’t let myself get attached to the baby because I wasn’t letting myself get attached to you, but obviously, that’s changed. Now I’m worried, Sehun. I’m scared. What if– what if it’s sick. What if–”

“Your brother said everything is normal,” Sehun interrupted. 

“But what _ is _ it?” Junmyeon stressed. “A vampire? A lycan?” Junmyeon felt his stomach turn as he vocalized the anxiety that had clenched him, seeding itself deep inside. “Will it be like you or me? Can something like this even survive? What if it truly is an abomination?” Tears stung behind Junmyeon’s eyes.  _ What if we created something that was never supposed to live? _

“This isn’t the first time,” Sehun said. “We aren’t the first.”

“We aren’t?”

“No. We aren’t.” Sehun intertwined his fingers with Junmyeon’s, giving his hand a squeeze. “That is how my father learned it was even possible. It was done once before, many years ago. The baby lived; it was a lycan, more or less. Kyungsoo learned of it.”

“A lycan,” Junmyeon said slowly, hope bubbling up in him. 

“Yes. Unfortunately, she was killed before reaching adulthood, murdered, but presumably, she was healthy.” Sehun squeezed his hand again. “Junmyeon, I’m scared too, but we’ll be together.”

“When did you learn to sound so mature?” Junmyeon asked, looking away as he blinked out a tear. 

“I’ve been listening to you,” Sehun joked. “Also, I’m three hundred years old. Remember, the internet would hate us.”

“Right.”

Junmyeon lifted his free hand to his face, wiping the wetness from his cheek before he turned his head back to look at Sehun. What he saw made his heart punch in his chest, but not in panic or anger. Sehun was looking at him with something that could only be described as unbridled fondness, love in those dark eyes that too often showed only hurt and regret and sadness. Instead, they were full of love and adoration, affection, and they were directed at him. Junmyeon wanted to bottle the moment, to live in it over and over, to never let it go. 

“I love you,” Junmyeon found himself whispering. 

One corner of Sehun’s lips quirked up like he found it amusing Junmyeon said it first. And then he was leaning in, slowly, but Junmyeon was returning the gesture. They met in the middle, their lips pressing softly together for a moment before the heat took over, Junmyeon darting his tongue out to lick along the seam of Sehun’s lips. 

Sehun readily parted his lips, allowing Junmyeon entry. And from there, it was inevitable. 

It felt natural to Junmyeon to fall back into bed with Sehun, to let the vampire banish his anxiety away with his touches, his mouth, his whispered words. And Junmyeon wanted it, needed it, the lycan part of him– the omega part of him– but the human aspect of him needed it too. He was in love, and Sehun was the man he wanted with him, and thanks to the blood link, he knew that the feeling was mutual.

Like always, it was intense, the release they both chased hitting them in soul-shattering orgasms, shared cries of pleasure filling the bedroom they shared. 

  
  


“You’re still worried,” Sehun murmured an hour later, as they lay in bed, sated and fucked out. 

“A little.” Junmyeon sighed. “You know… Just thinking about normal things like where we should live, how you’ll live forever, but I won’t, what will happen when our kid realizes you drink blood. Standard stuff.” Junmyeon pressed his face against Sehun’s shoulder. 

Sehun carded his fingers through Junmyeon’s hair. “We’ll get to that, all of it. We can’t figure it out in a night.”

“Hmm.”

Junmyeon heard the clock in the hallway tick. If he listened hard enough, he could hear the muffled sounds of the morning traffic. It really was the early morning more than it was late at night. He could get a few hours’ sleep at most if he managed to fall asleep at all. His calendar was full of meetings. 

“If you ever want it, I will give it to you,” Sehun said quietly. 

“What?” Junmyeon asked, mouth feeling like it was full of cotton. He lifted his head up to look at his husband. Sehun’s mouth was set in a tight line. 

“If you ever wanted to live forever, I mean, vampirism. I would… If you wanted.”

Junmyeon knew that Sehun had made that offer once before, and it had not ended well. It was why he felt a rush of fear and anxiety leave Sehun when he said the words. 

Honestly, Junmyeon hadn’t even considered it. Not really. Not beyond the cursory knowledge that one day he would be old and Sehun, well, he wouldn’t. “We’ll figure it out later,” Junmyeon said, letting his head fall back onto Sehun’s shoulder. “Let’s sleep.”

“Okay,” Sehun whispered, the tension easing out of him. 

Junmyeon pressed a kiss to Sehun’s chest, a quick show of affection before he let himself fall into sleep, feeling a measure of comfort in being held by his mate– even if his mate was not at all that the world had told him he should be. 


	21. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the rest of the story (updating Chapters 18,19,20 and the epilogue today because why not:)

Kyungsoo felt nauseous, but this time he was sure it had nothing to do with tainted blood or a blackmailed traditional medicine specialist. No. However, it did have everything to do with the fact his grey oxford shirt was now creased– wrinkled in the spot that was captured between the cupboard door and the wall when he went searching for the gift he bought for Chanyeol’s parents.

“I don’t have time to change,” he said, mortified. It had already taken him the better part of the morning to iron his clothing, take a shower, and smooth his hair back. If he wanted to be early, there was no way he–

“It’s fine. Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo, look at me.” Chanyeol stepped in front of Kyungsoo, leaning in, trying to distract him. They were in Kyungsoo’s apartment, Chanyeol having dropped in shortly before Kyungsoo started carefully doing his hair, long before he had begun to get dressed. “My parents will love you, don’t worry about your outfit or your hair.”

Kyungsoo swallowed down the lump in his throat. “But––”  _ I’m a vampire. I’m small. I’m horrible at small talk. I can’t make conversation to save my life. My eyesight is terrible, and the only sport I can even remotely play is pool. Wait, do they even like sports. What if they like sports? What if they like sports and I can’t talk about sports and then– _

Chanyeol flashed a toothy smile. “It will be okay. Trust me. They’ll love you.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Suit yourself,” Chanyeol sighed. “But they will. Now come on, my mom hates it when I’m late.”

“You didn’t tell me that!” Kyungsoo yelped, rushing to grab the bag with the gifts. 

“Because if I did, you would do this. It will be fine, really. Calm down.” Chanyeol padded towards the door. 

Kyungsoo slipped on his shoes. He was glad he was already technically dead; if his heart was still beating, he was sure it would have exploded in his chest by now. He just wanted them to like him. It was important they liked him because, damn it, he liked Park Chanyeol more than he had liked anyone in well– maybe ever, which was a complicated thing for him to come to terms with. 

“One word of warning, though,” Chanyeol said as he opened the door.

“What?” Kyungsoo asked, instantly alarmed.

“If Toben tries to butter you up, ignore him. He’s a tricky beast. Don’t play his games,” Chanyeol lectured. “A little devil if I’ve ever seen one.”

  
  


The Park family ran a restaurant. Chanyeol had mentioned it in passing way-back-when, during one of the first times Kyungsoo had slept over at his apartment. Chanyeol had been rambling on after they had sex, peppering Kyungsoo with a thousand different questions to get to know him better. At the time, Kyungsoo found it mildly annoying, now, well now it was a fond memory. Kyungsoo had admitted he liked to cook, and that had prompted Chanyeol to excitedly tell him that the Park family had, for three generations, ran the best braised pork rib restaurant this side of the Han River. 

In Kyungsoo’s mind, the Park family restaurant had taken many forms. It started out like his opinion of Park Chanyeol– loud, disorganized, somewhere to stay away from. Somewhere along the way, his mental image of the place had changed, morphing into a place that would be warm and friendly, welcoming anyone and everyone, full of life. When they pulled up in front of the restaurant, Kyungsoo found that his later mental image was closer to reality. 

The restaurant was in a brick building, the front of the place made up of large windows looking out on the street. The parking lot ran alongside the building, with a few parking stalls out front. Chanyeol managed to snag one of the spots, parking over the cracked and worn pavement with ease. A scooter sat out front, a helmet covered in bumper stickers advertising the place sitting on the back.

The front windows were full of colorful placards advertising brands served at the restaurant, deals on drinks and food, and limited-time menu items. The parts of the windows that weren’t covered by signs looked filmy, like a thin layer of grease clung to the glass. The place was a hole-in-the-wall, not fancy by any stretch of the imagination. It was a neighborhood place, with the door chimes sounding regularly, most patrons on a first-name basis with the owners. 

Chanyeol gave Kyungsoo a reassuring smile as they approached as if to say, yo _ u’ve got this _ . 

Kyungsoo didn’t believe him. There were so many ways the meeting could go wrong; he couldn’t even pinpoint which one was most likely. Kyungsoo gripped the tote bag tightly in his hands and practiced his greeting in his head as he followed behind Chanyeol, trying his hardest to remember to put one foot in front of the other. 

Chanyeol opened the door and held it open, nodding for Kyungsoo to go first. Kyungsoo shook his head, terrified. Chanyeol rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. 

“Mom, we’re here,” Chanyeol called out as they slipped inside. 

The space was square, with a small counter near the entrance, an ancient-looking cash register sitting in on top of it, next to a cup with colorful pens. Booths lined the far wall, while the rest of the space was taken up with tables and chairs. The tables were all wood laminate with metal legs, the chairs plastic-looking clean and sturdy. The floor was mustard and olive-colored linoleum, old but well cared for. Along the far wall was a set of swinging doors that Kyungsoo assumed lead to the kitchen. 

The restaurant was mostly empty; only a few customers were seated in a booth near the far wall. When the kitchen door swung, Kyungsoo jumped. A woman emerged, her eyes smiling brightly as she approached. 

“Chanyeol,” she cooed, her arms held wide. “My son.”

Kyungsoo could smell the omega scent that mingled with the woman’s perfume as she neared. She grabbed Chanyeol into a hug, the taller man leaning in to hug his much smaller mother. Kyungsoo stood back, feeling awkward, not sure where to look or what to do.

When Mrs. Park broke the hug with Chanyeol, she quickly sidestepped him and turned her attention to Kyungsoo. “And you must be Do Kyungsoo,” she said, not one ounce of the cheer leaving her voice as she said the words. 

Kyungsoo bowed awkwardly. “Yes. It– It’s nice to meet you.” He thrust the tote bag filled with the herbal wine toward her, gripping it with both hands. She looked down at it, smiling, eyes wide.

“A gift? Why thank you.” She grabbed it, setting it on the counter. A second later, she was stepping forward to pull Kyungsoo into a hug. 

Kyungsoo yelped, taken by surprise as Mrs. Park pulled him close. “It is so nice to meet the man my son is so taken with.”

Kyungsoo must have looked as shocked as he felt, judging by Chanyeol’s expression. When Kyungsoo met his eyes, Chanyeol looked like he was holding back laughter. 

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Kyungsoo said as Mrs. Park broke the hug and moved away. 

“What a handsome man. You chose well, Chanyeol.”

“Mom,” Chanyeol whined. “Don’t hit on my boyfriend.”

Kyungsoo felt his cheeks redden. What. What was.  _ What _ .

Mrs. Park laughed, and Kyungsoo immediately knew where Chanyeol had gotten his upbeat personality. The high-pitched devil-may-care laughter that could fill any space, the sound that could instantly make anyone around them feel the happiness practically invade their space, no matter how gloomy or down they may be. Perpetual sunshine, that is how Kyungsoo had started to think of it. It put Kyungsoo at ease, making him smile. Maybe, he thought, maybe this would be okay.

  
  


An hour later, Kyungsoo could admit it was more than okay. It was also noisy and overwhelming and full of good food and fun people, and so much mutual affection, it felt like the place would burst. He had never experienced anything quite like it in terms of atmosphere, and he had walked the earth for an exceptionally long time. 

Park Chanyeol’s father, a tall man with the same glint of mischief in his eyes as Chanyeol, had closed the restaurant after the last few customers left. That was after he greeted Kyungsoo with a firm handshake and a joke that Kyungsoo forced himself to laugh at, afraid he would offend him otherwise (Chanyeol just groaned). From there, it was a kind of chaos that Sehun would have appreciated. 

Yoora, Chanyeol’s older sister, arrived with her husband and their baby, a chubby-cheeked infant named Yoojin. Yoora brought a small crate, which Chanyeol shot a dirty look at the moment he saw it. “Devil,” he whispered. Once the crate's gates were opened, a black poodle burst out, running around the dining room in a blur. 

Kyungsoo found out Toben was a dog, and Toben was also the apple of the Park family’s collective eye (excluding Chanyeol, but the feeling seemed to be mutual). He took an instant liking to Kyungsoo, which seemed to further his divide with Chanyeol, the lycan frowning at the small dog and mumbling things about “he’s  _ my  _ boyfriend.”

All-in-all they were all so accommodating and friendly it was… unexpected. 

“It doesn’t bother you that I’m not a lycan?” Kyungsoo asked over dessert, immediately regretting it. The question was rude. It put them on the spot. But like with everything else, the Park family surprised him.

“At first,” Mrs. Park admitted. “You know how these things are.” She gestured vaguely in the air. 

Kyungsoo nodded. Of course, he did. Hell, he remembered a time in which their two sides killed each other. 

“But Chanyeol said he loves you and cried like a baby, so really we had no choice but to accept it,” Yoora said matter-of-factly.

“Hey!” Chanyeol protested, indignant.

Yoora shrugged.

“And now, meeting you, I can understand why he was so taken with you. You actually seem out of his league. Like what do you see in Chanyeol, Kyungsoo?” Mrs. Park asked, giving her son an appraising look. “Kyungsoo, you could do better than him.”

Kyungsoo gaped at her, not knowing how to—had she just told Chanyeol that Kyungsoo was too good for him?

“Mom!” Chanyeol whined.

Mrs. Park busted out laughing, and the rest of the table joined in. Kyungsoo did the same, not knowing what else to do. When he caught Mrs. Park’s eye, she mouthed, “ _ Really, though _ .” Kyungsoo quickly looked away.

Mr. Park brought out beer a few minutes later, with everyone aside from Yoora’s husband (was his name Jung…something? Kyungsoo couldn’t remember, much to his mortification) himself, the baby and the dog grabbing one. The Park family drank heartily, Kyungsoo appreciating how much they seemed to genuinely like each other’s company. 

_ I wonder if my family was like that when I was alive.  _

Time passed quickly. By the time Chanyeol’s father was mumbling about having to reopen for the dinner hour, Kyungsoo was convinced they had only just arrived. 

“Please, Kyungsoo, feel free to come to visit us at any time. Don’t feel like you have to bring my son, either. We see too much of him,” Chanyeol’s mother joked. 

“In fact, leave him at home,” Yoora said. “We’d much rather you just visit.”

Chanyeol launched into more good-natured protests, his words carrying over as they said their goodbyes. Kyungsoo even remembered to crouch down and give Toben a scratch under the chin before he left, telling the dog he was a good boy. 

Before they could step out, Chanyeol’s mother pulled Kyungsoo aside for a quick word. “Chanyeol said you like to cook. If you ever need a big kitchen to practice,” she said warmly, nodding towards the doors to the restaurant kitchen. “We’re here.”

Kyungsoo felt a burst of affection well in his chest. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

She squeezed his arm once before letting it go. 

When they stepped out of the restaurant, into the humid summer afternoon, Kyungsoo found himself smiling. Chanyeol put his hand on the small of Kyungsoo’s back, walking with him to the car. 

“That wasn’t too bad, was it?” Chanyeol asked. 

“No, not at all,” Kyungsoo said. “I really liked it.”

“My family can be so embarrassing.” Chanyeol groaned. 

“I thought you wanted me to meet them. You said they’d love me?” Kyungsoo teased. It was funny that now everything was said and done, it was Chanyeol trudging around. 

“They do love you—more than they love me, apparently. My master plan backfired. I’m going to be disowned in favor of my boyfriend,” Chanyeol sighed. “I should have known. I can’t measure up to you.”

Kyungsoo laughed, his cheeks puffing out. He realized as he slipped behind the wheel of the car that he hadn’t felt this happy, this carefree, in an exceptionally long time. 

On the way home, with the tension of the visit gone, Kyungsoo decided it was time to tell Chanyeol the news he had been holding onto, waiting for the right moment, unsure of how or when to say it. He was sure Chanyeol would be supportive, but he wanted to make sure when he told him it made sense. 

“I’m going to be unemployed,” Kyungsoo said. 

“Huh?” Chanyeol glanced at him. “Why? Are you getting fired?”

“What? No!” Kyungsoo scowled. “Why would I be fired?”

“I don’t know. Why are you going to be unemployed?”

“Sehun decided to resign. I think that makes sense for me too. VIVI will close their Korean division. This was all just some overblown hobby for Yifan and Sehun anyway.”

“So, what will you do?” Chanyeol asked. “Do you have money? Are you like one of those rich old vampires or something? Or do you want to be my kept man?”

“K-kept–“ Kyungsoo raised his hand to mock like he was going to punch Chanyeol before letting it drop. He sighed while Chanyeol laughed. 

“I have money,” Kyungsoo mumbled. He did. He wasn’t a  _ wealthy old vampire _ , but he had more than enough to live off of. “And I don’t know what I want to do yet. I thought…” He swallowed. He hadn’t said it aloud yet. “I thought I might look into the cooking thing.”

Silence. 

“I think that would be cool. You’d probably be good at it. You like to follow the rules and pay attention to detail. And I like to eat, so I fully support you becoming a hot vampire chef.”

Kyungsoo tried to hide his smile but failed. “Thanks,” he muttered. “I’ll try not to disappoint you.”

He felt… lucky. Happy. And like he didn’t deserve any of it. But he had it, and for the first time in his undead life, Kyungsoo could say that perhaps he understood what happiness felt like. 

⁂

Kim Junmyeon was very aware that most of the staff had started to gossip that he had up and lost his mind– at least the human staff. The lycan staff had already figured out he was pregnant and were busy taking bets on who the father was; he still hadn’t made a public announcement about his secretive marriage a few months back. Meanwhile, the human staff was busy trying to figure out why Kim Junmyeon had announced it was now casual Friday every day of the week when he was the person who gave an hour lecture on the benefit of a formal business attire only six months prior, insisting all corporate staff uphold a formal business dress code. 

The reality was they didn’t make baggy enough suits to hide Junmyeon’s growing baby bump, and no way in hell was he working remotely until he absolutely had to. He had too much to do. And it wasn’t like he could start wearing sweatshirts and expect the corporate team to still dress in business formal; that would just be shoddy management skills. 

And he wasn’t going to be a shoddy manager, even if he was sitting behind his desk clad in an oversized Led Zeppelin sweatshirt and sweatpants. 

“Chaewon in accounting said she’s rejecting your expense report because you didn’t attach your receipts, the intern in human resources is convinced Kim Jongin is the father even though I told him that is absolutely fucking disgusting, and that magazine is still poking around for the interview about the new group,” Chanyeol rattled off. “And they didn’t have your carrot smoothie thing, so I had to get beet, and if you start crying again, so help me, I will call Sehun and tell him.” He set the red smoothie on Kim Junmyeon’s desk. 

Junmyeon frowned at the offensive cup. “How can they be out of carrots? How does a smoothie shop run out of carrots?” he asked, glaring at his assistant. 

“Did you hear anything else I said?” 

“Are you sure they aren’t just  _ saying _ they ran out of carrots?”

“I am pretty sure they are actually out of carrots. One hundred percent out of carrots. No carrots to be found.”

Junmyeon sighed. “Fine. Whatever.” He grabbed the smoothie and took a sip. It wasn’t carrot, but it would do. 

“Remember you have dinner tonight with A&R,” Chanyeol said, scrolling down his tablet. 

Junmyeon frowned. “Can’t. We’re going to my parent’s house for dinner.”

Chanyeol gave him an exasperated look. “Hyung,” he whined. “Again?”

“What do you mean  _ again _ ?” Junmyeon took another long sip of the drink, happy for the icy feeling sliding down his throat. It really was unbearably warm in his office anymore. Being pregnant was... kind of unbearable. Uncomfortable. Annoying as hell. He would be happy to never do it again. 

“I asked you if you had anything tonight, and you said no. You forgot?” Chanyeol couldn’t hide the disappointment on his face. Or was it annoyance? Junmyeon couldn’t tell, and he wasn’t sure how much he cared. 

“Sorry, it slipped my mind. Can you go for me?” he asked, hoping he looked pitiful enough for Chanyeol to agree. “You get along better with the A&R team anyway.”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll go.”

“Thanks. I’ll give you a bigger bonus this year.” Junmyeon smiled. 

“At this rate, you should just deposit the year’s profits in my bank account,” Chanyeol mumbled. 

“Thank you, Chanyeol.” Junmyeon smiled at him, knowing there was enough thank-yous to relay precisely how grateful he was for everything Chanyeol had done for him over the last year. “But really, do you think they are seriously out of carrots?”

“And next year’s profits,” Chanyeol deadpanned. “Maybe the year after that too.”

  
  


Junmyeon had heard it from Chanyeol more than once– his parents adored his vampire boyfriend, Do Kyungsoo. But they were the Parks, and well, the Kim family  _ weren’t _ . He wasn’t sure if they would ever get used to Sehun, no matter how many times Junmyeon dragged him over for an awkward dinner engagement. It didn’t help that Junmyeon’s father was the leader of the lycans and Sehun’s father was the leader of the vampires. Powerful positions seemed to make the divide worse, a hopeless case if there ever was one.

Junmyeon’s mother had insisted they come over that evening because she had things for them, whatever that meant. Junmyeon guessed it was more baby supplies– his apartment's guest bedroom was being overrun by packs of diapers and formula, bags of clothing, and boxed nursery furniture. It was a bit terrifying, if he was honest. 

Sehun seemed to take the uncomfortable atmosphere in stride. He didn’t press for their approval; in fact, he didn’t seem to really care if they liked him or not. 

“We’ll be quick,” Junmyeon said on the elevator ride up to the apartment. “I’m tired.”

Sehun nodded. “Bed sounds nice,” he agreed, though Junmyeon doubted he had the same plan for what they would do in bed as Junmyeon did. 

Junmyeon’s mother had the door open when Junmyeon punched the second number into the keypad. 

“Hello.” She smiled brightly. 

“Mom,” Junmyeon greeted. 

Sehun said hello, something unfailingly polite but distant. Just enough to be nice. 

Junmyeon’s mother fawned over him, insisting on helping him into his slippers like he was a child.

“Mom, I’m not injured,” Junmyeon complained. She made him feel like an invalid. 

“Just let me help you,” she insisted. 

Junmyeon sighed. When he glanced at Sehun, he caught him watching with an amused look on his face, the bastard. 

They trudged into the dining room, where the table was already set out with snacks. Junmyeon’s father wasn’t home yet– he was busy with lycan business, something vague but important-sounding that Junmyeon wouldn’t worry about unless he had to. That was his father’s world, lycan politics, not his. 

At least his mother had carrots. Junmyeon chomped on one, then two, satisfying the craving he had been harboring since that morning. 

“I’m glad we have some time just us,” his mother said, returning from the kitchen with a teapot. She went to work pouring cups for herself and Junmyeon, well aware that Sehun wasn’t a fan. He offered to help, but she waved him away. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you both about.”

Junmyeon felt Sehun’s hand come to rest on his knee under the table, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. He wasn’t sure if it was meant to reassure him or Sehun– or perhaps both of them together. 

Junmyeon took another bite of a carrot, the chomping seeming extra loud, given the sudden serious atmosphere. “Sorry,” he mumbled. 

His mother cleared her throat. “I know that your relationship wasn’t something that started out in a traditional way,” she began. “And I’ve felt a measure of guilt for my part in this.”

“Mom, don’t,” Junmyeon said softly. He had guessed as much; how could she not feel guilty. The scar she wore on her face was the constant reminder that a debt was owed, one that Junmyeon was payment for. She had been attacked decades ago by a rogue lycan, and Yoo Yeonseok had saved her from what could have been an awful fate. But of course, he wanted something in return. And so, the debt had been created, the debt that had been paid by Junmyeon marrying Sehun and carrying his child. 

She ignored him. “Junmyeon, I will understand if after the baby is born, you... If you and Sehun–“She smiled, but there was no happiness there. It was bittersweet. “I don’t expect you to stay together. I don’t expect you to care for the child, Junmyeon. I don’t want you to feel pressured, either of you.”

Junmyeon had never told her about the contract; he had thought it would break her heart, had anticipated the tears, the sadness, and disappointment she would feel when he let her know that he wanted no part in the child’s life, no interest in raising it. He assumed that his mother and father would expect him to be a parent, at least half of the time (his relationship with Sehun, well that he doubted they expected much of). He had dreaded the moment he would inevitably have to share with her that he would walk away from the child too– a moment that wouldn’t come now that he and Sehun had decided to stay together. 

And now his mother was telling him that would be fine, that the same decision he had dreaded sharing with her was an acceptable course of action. It felt like a punch to the gut. 

They had canceled the contract two days ago. It was null and void, both parties signing off on it. Legally it was no more, Junmyeon happy to see it go. 

“Junmyeon and I intend to stay together.” It was Sehun who spoke, his hand squeezing Junmyeon’s knee as he did so. He sounded confident, sure of himself. “I love him.”

Junmyeon sat, clutching a half-eaten carrot, feeling like a total fool as he stared at his vampire husband. “I love you too,” he said.

“Oh. You– you do?” Junmyeon’s mother said, clearly surprised. 

“Yes. We– it just kind of happened.” Junmyeon offered a small smile. “We’re going to raise the baby together.”

“I’m glad. I was so worried.” His mother seemed to visibly relaxed. “Does this mean I can keep buying things for the baby?”

“Mom, I think we already have enough for ten babies.”

“Nonsense...” She waved her hand dismissively. “What’s a little bit more.”

Junmyeon wouldn’t argue. “Sure, what’s a little bit more,” he said, feeling Sehun squeeze his knee affectionately yet again. 

“Does my blood taste bad?” 

Sehun choked, coughing down the mouthful of AB Negative he had been trying to enjoy. “What?” he asked, his question coming out raspy. 

Junmyeon was perched on the sofa, his legs crossed, one hand resting on his protruding stomach, the other busy scrolling through his phone. “You’ve never asked to drink my blood once since our wedding. Kyungsoo drinks Chanyeol’s blood all the time.” He glanced at Sehun. “I am assuming that must mean mine tastes like shit.”

Junmyeon could feel the panic and anxiety thrum through the blood link, but he could also feel the tinge of regret as well. He knew that Sehun didn’t want to upset him. 

“Kyungsoo is weird. Lycan blood isn’t usually...” Sehun bit his bottom lip and looked lost, like he had no idea what word would work for what he was trying to communicate. 

“Tasty. Palatable. Consumable,” Junmyeon supplied. 

“Well, yeah.”

“I see.” Junmyeon set his phone down. He rested both hands on his stomach, clasping them together. “So, all the other lycan blood tastes bad?”

“Yes.” Sehun nodded.

“So, you’ve had other lycan blood?” Junmyeon asked.

“What, no!” 

Junmyeon smirked. It wasn’t often he was the one doing the teasing. “Sorry, it was too easy.” He could feel the anxiety and he played off it. And he knew that now Sehun could feel that he wasn’t angry or upset, that he was being playful. The blood link was once such a repugnant idea to Junmyeon but now it was a reliable, albeit unusual method of communication between them. He couldn’t imagine not having it, not being able to know, to  _ feel _ some of what Sehun was experiencing. 

“I love you,” Junmyeon said, feeling bad for teasing him. 

Sehun sighed. “I guess I love you too,” he said. “But I’m not drinking your blood.”

“Noted.” Junmyeon smiled. “I won’t ask again.”

Junmyeon grabbed for the discarded throw blanket that sat on one end of the sofa. He pulled it around him, nestling in. He felt tired. He always felt tired any more. And his back hurt with the added weight. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back. When he felt the sofa cushion dip he smiled. 

When he felt Sehun’s arm around his shoulder he leaned back, into the solid warmth of his chest. It took some finagling, but after a few tries Junmyeon was able to lay back into Sehun’s arms, enveloped in his warmth. Sehun pressed a soft kiss to Junmyeon’s neck, nuzzling him. Sehun’s hands came to rest over Junmyeon’s, both over Junmyeon’s middle, over the space where their child rested. He felt safe. Warm. Protected. 

_ Happy.  _

And he felt the same thing from Sehun. His love being returned. It was a glorious feeling, intense and heady, but comforting too. Junmyeon wished he could live in the moment forever; he wished he would never have to let it go. 


	22. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the rest of the story (updating Chapters 18,19,20 and the epilogue today because why not:)

_ Four Months Later _

“In the first half of the year, we are focused on growing our newer product lines,” Chanyeol explained, clicking the button to go to the next slide. “With our greatest revenue projections falling into the third and fourth quarters.”

The conference room was dark, except for the screen showing the presentation. Chanyeol stood to the side of it, a microphone clipped to the lapel of his suit coat. He was dressed well, in a smart grey suit that was neatly pressed and expertly tailored. Kyungsoo tried not to let his eyes linger too long as he appreciated the cut and fit. He would have to tell Chanyeol that he picked the right tailor. 

“The earnings cycle will be similar to the last several years,” Chanyeol continued, clicking to the last slide.

Kyungsoo stood in the back of the conference room– really, he thought it was more like a small auditorium– watching his boyfriend give the fourth quarter update to Wolf Entertainment’s investors. Usually, it was something Kim Junmyeon would handle, but he was on leave, had been for the last three days on the insistence of his older brother. Junseok was confident that Junmyeon would give birth any day now and ordered Junmyeon on bed rest. 

Kyungsoo was happy that Chanyeol had the chance. He was proud. Chanyeol was a natural at public speaking. He was confident, at ease. Friendly. The clumsiness that (eventually) endeared Chanyeol to Kyungsoo was missing as he went through the presentation. He had dutifully practiced the night before, Kyungsoo sitting on the edge of their bed, pretending very hard to be a stern old investor. 

Kyungsoo let himself listen for a minute more before he slipped out of the room quietly, his own nerves spiking and making it impossible for him to relax. He had been hired to cater the luncheon after the meeting. It would be the first business for his burgeoning catering company, the one that he may (or may not, depending on the outcome of the day) turn into a full-time thing. 

Chanyeol’s mother and sister were there, helping Kyungsoo set up. They had cobbled together a light menu. Kyungsoo had barely been able to sleep the night before, terrified that something would go wrong. He had taste-tested each dish a dozen times until Chanyeol’s mom was scolding him to let it go. 

“I’m proud of you,” Mrs. Park said as they finished setting up. “You’ve done a great job.”

Kyungsoo feigned a weak smile. It felt strange that someone could be proud of him when they barely knew each other, but he accepted the sentiment. He knew it was genuine and appreciated it. Feelings couldn’t be measured against time; it was something he had learned.

“Thank you, mother,” he said quietly. Chanyeol had managed to teach him a lot in a short period. A lot about connections, about affection and love and pride.

Mrs. Park smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Kyungsoo. But seriously, what do you see in Chanyeol? He’s a walking disaster,” she teased, making Kyungsoo laugh, effectively breaking up the tension he was feeling.

  
  


“You are–” Chanyeol held his arms wide. “A sexy chef.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “I am a guy wearing a business suit who happened to borrow your parent’s kitchen.”

“Right. Sexy chef,” he repeated, walking forward and closing the distance between them. He wrapped his arms around Kyungsoo and pulled him into a hug. 

The meeting and the luncheon were over. Kyungsoo had finished cleaning up and was ready to leave, but not before slipping into Chanyeol’s office to say goodbye. He relaxed into Chanyeol’s arms, giving himself a few seconds to appreciate the lycan’s warmth and scent. 

“Good job with the presentation,” he mumbled into the front of Chanyeol’s suit.

“Good job with the food,” Chanyeol said, kissing the top of Kyungsoo’s head. 

Kyungsoo stepped back, earning a momentary pout from Chanyeol. He walked over to Chanyeol’s desk, something having caught his eye. 

“I  _ thought _ I saw Lu Han.” Kyungsoo picked up the CD case, admiring the cover. Lu Han stared back at him; his hair styled loosely around his face. It was his latest Korean extended play, the first one that would be managed entirely by Wolf Entertainment. VIVI had sold the Korean rights of his contract to Wolf Entertainment, a no-brainer that Sehun sold to Yifan with a five-minute phone call. So far, Junmyeon had handled the delicate star wonderfully, lawyer and all. 

“You weren’t kidding about the lawyer thing. His parents must be loaded. They threaten to call him in whenever Lu Han sneezes.” Chanyeol sighed.

“He’s a good kid, though,” Kyungsoo said, setting the CD back on the desk. “I’m glad he decided to stay in Korea. He seems happier here.”

“Yes, at least for now.” They both knew it had a lot to do with Kim Minseok, who so far had been quiet, abiding by the rules set forth for his release. Kyungsoo had high hopes it would stay that way; the man seemed honestly apologetic. 

“So…” Chanyeol started, his tone of voice making the hairs on the back of Kyungsoo’s neck rise.

“What?” Kyungsoo looked up at Chanyeol. “What are you planning?”

Chanyeol gave a smarmy smile as he approached the office door. He clicked the lock on the door and settled against it, waggling one of his eyebrows suggestively. “You’re in my office. It’s the afternoon. You’re a sexy chef.”

“I love you, but we are not doing it in your office,” Kyungsoo said flatly, stepping forward to push Chanyeol out of the way. 

Chanyeol’s expression instantly sobered. He gripped Kyungsoo’s arm. “What did you say?”

“What?” Kyungsoo blinked up at him.

“Say it again.”

Kyungsoo frowned. “I love you, but w–“ Oh.  _ Oh _ . 

He had never said those three words before. He had been working on it, the words crowding into his mind late at night when they were in bed or early in the morning when Chanyeol left for work. Or on the weekend when Chanyeol came home with the bread Kyungsoo loved. But he had never said them before because he had never felt like he understood, really could claim he understood them enough to lay claim. 

Today, they had slipped out naturally. 

Kyungsoo had never seen Chanyeol look so happy. The grin that broke out over his face was wide, his dimple deep. “I love you too,” he said cheekily. “Do Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo felt like he was blushing to the tips of his ears, which was pointedly ridiculous since saying  _ I love you  _ was probably the tamest thing the two of them did together. “I love you,” he said again, a sense of pride settling in that he was the one who had made Chanyeol that happy. That he had the power to make Chanyeol that happy with three little words. 

Chanyeol leaned in. The press of his lips was soft, gentle, reverent. Kyungsoo parted his lips readily, affection and adoration coursing through him as he slid his tongue into Chanyeol’s mouth. They kissed like that, slow and deep, for what seemed like forever. When they broke apart, they were both smiling. 

“Sexy chef,” Chanyeol murmured. 

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t be angry. He was too happy. 

A knock on the office door ended their moment. Kyungsoo stepped back, Chanyeol sighing as he went to unlock the door. 

“Hey, asshole, it’s me.” When Chanyeol opened the door a lycan who Kyungsoo recognized as Byun Baekhyun, bounded in. Baekhyun nodded at him in a brief greeting. 

“And what do I owe the honor?” Chanyeol deadpanned, looking annoyed. 

Baekhyun smiled. “Junmyeon’s been taken to the hospital. Today’s the day. We’re going to be uncles!”

⁂

“Damn it, I can still type,” Junmyeon grumbled, sending Sehun a death look. 

Sehun held the laptop away, out of Junmyeon’s reach. “Doesn’t matter. Junseok said you shouldn’t be working.”

“Yeah, well, he also said the earth was flat, so.”

“When I was four years old,” Junseok protested, walking into the room.

Junmyeon moved his mouth to mimic his older brother’s words. He had his nose bunched up in an ugly face of mockery when the contraction hit him and he winced, crying out in pain. Junseok shot him a told-you-so look.

“There’s a room ready for you at the hospital. In my opinion, you should probably prepare to leave here before rush hour starts,” Junseok said, using his doctor-voice.

Junmyeon groaned. He looked down at his middle. “How could a child of mine come on the day of the fourth quarter update meeting? I fail to see how this is possible. The speech I had prepared…”

Another contraction rolled through him, from the middle of his back to his front, the pain wrapping around him like a vice. He winced, sweat beginning to bead along his brow. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sehun, watching him, hand out like he wanted to touch him but was afraid to like he didn’t want to piss him off or hurt him. 

Junmyeon huffed out a breath. “Fine. Let’s go. But make it quick.” He held his hand out to Sehun. “Help me up. And don’t worry, I won’t break. You proved that like fifty times in the shower.”

Sehun grabbed his hand, a smirk widening across his face. “True,” he said. They really had made good use of the large shower in Junmyeon’s apartment. 

“I don’t need to hear this,” Junseok sighed. 

“And I don’t need you lecturing me,” Junmyeon shot back. “But here we are.”

Junmyeon stared up at the white ceiling, mentally tallying up all of his poor life choices. And there were a lot of them. Like the time he thought a wax apple was a real apple and bit into it, or the time he challenged Chanyeol to a pie-eating contest and ended up throwing up half the night. There was the time he didn’t sleep for three days before midterms or the time he thought giving birth was something he could do because  _ fucking hell, this was the worst thing that he had ever experienced _ . 

The room smelled like rubbing alcohol and cleaner. It was bright and busy and noisy in one of those strange, muted ways that seemed to only work in a hospital operating room. A green curtain had been draped over half of Junmyeon’s body so he couldn’t see what was being done to the lower half, which honestly, was probably a good thing. After the spinal shot and catheter, he was done paying attention to that area for the next… forever, if he could swing it. 

Now he just needed to endure being cut open and having his baby taken out and then stitched back up so he could experience a long and painful recovery. Beautiful. Wonderful. Great.

“I love you.” Sehun was there, looking a little ridiculous in green scrubs and a mask. He had been scrubbed in, Junmyeon deciding he was the only person he wanted in the room with him. They locked eyes, and for a moment, Junmyeon let his mental self-deprecation slip away. 

“I love you too,” he murmured, managing a small smile. 

The blood link was full of anxiety and pain, but there was hope there too. Happiness. An eagerness to meet their child. 

“How are you feeling?” Junseok asked from the other side of the green curtain.

“Like I want to get this over with ASAP,” Junmyeon answered.

“Noted.”

Sehun reached out, gently caressing Junmyeon’s cheek. It was a light touch and didn’t last long, but Junmyeon needed it. His omega side, his human side, every side needed it. 

“You may feel some pressure, Junmyeon. If you feel any pain, please let us know,” Junseok said. 

“Okay.” Junmyeon tensed. He was scared. What if the baby wasn’t okay? What if he wasn’t okay? What if he didn’t make it, and what if–

Sehun grabbed his hand, squeezing it. Junmyeon treated it like a lifeline, holding it tightly. He gripped Sehun’s hand and stared up at the white ceiling trying hard not to think about what would happen if he died or the baby died or both of them died. Tears stung the corners of his eyes, hot and ready to fall. 

_ It will happen eventually. _ Junmyeon gripped Sehun’s hand harder.  _ You’ll die. Sehun won’t.  _

“Just a little more,” Junseok said. “Almost done.”

Junmyeon looked over, meeting Sehun’s eyes. The darkness, the sadness, and regret that sat in those eyes, that had drawn Junmyeon in months ago had changed into a deep warmth that welcomed him. It still fascinated him but in a myriad of different ways, new ways. He didn’t want to let that go, ever.

_ Ever. _

He knew it was selfish. He knew it was complicated. But he knew without a doubt he couldn’t say goodbye. He couldn’t let the darkness return and he didn’t want to lose sight of the adoration, the affection that had replaced the frightening void he first encountered months before. 

I don’t want to say goodbye _. I can’t say goodbye. _

He pressed hard on Sehun’s hand. Warm tears stung against Junmyeon’s skin as they fell onto the white hospital bed. Between them the blood link was heavy with fear, with love, with happiness, with so many strong feelings it was overwhelming him. 

And then there was a cry, a lusty, loud cry that seemed to fill the room.

“A girl,” Junseok said, already a proud uncle. “And she’s perfect.”

  
  


Junmyeon couldn’t believe that he–okay,  _ they _ – created something so tiny. So pretty. So pink and warm and cute and apt to cry constantly. Okay, he could believe the last part. He could totally believe Sehun and him had created a crying machine. 

Junmyeon looked at the nurse checking his vitals, feeling a little helpless as his daughter, cradled in his arms, screamed her head off. 

“It’s normal,” the nurse said, smiling at him in reassurance.

“I can take her,” Sehun said quietly. He had the same general look of bewilderment on his face as Junmyeon since the birth, both cycling from happiness to  _ oh-shit _ to happiness to  _ now-what-do-we-do _ to  _ wow-she’s-so-tiny _ .

Sehun leaned in, taking the tiny bundle from Junmyeon’s arms. Much to his annoyance, their daughter stopped crying the second she was in Sehun’s arms. 

“Traitor,” Junmyeon grumbled, settling back into his hospital bed.

“You should be nice to your daddy,” Sehun playfully scolded their daughter. “He’s had a rough day too.”

That was an understatement. He couldn’t remember ever being so exhausted in his life. He felt like he could sleep for a week straight. 

“Junseok said your parents will be here in the morning. I talked my brothers into coming tomorrow evening, but if you’re too tired, they can stay away,” Sehun said. He gently rocked their daughter in his arms. 

Junmyeon closed his eyes. “Thanks.”

The sound of the hospital room door opening made Junmyeon snap his eyes open, annoyed at the racket. Seriously, the nurses should know better than to go slamming doors open on the maternity ward. 

“Oh. My. God.” 

Except it wasn’t a nurse.

“Is she not the prettiest little…” Chanyeol paused, uncertain of what to say. “Baby I have ever seen.”

“I told him that only rude assholes barge in on the day of delivery, but here we are.” Do Kyungsoo strolled in after Chanyeol. He closed the door softly behind him. “Sorry and congratulations.”

Junmyeon sighed. “Thanks. And she’s a lycan, at least that is what Junseok says.”

Chanyeol was already crowding over Sehun and the baby, smiling wide. “A lycan! She’s so little,” he said, looking over at Junmyeon like the fact was news to him.

Junmyeon chuckled. “Yeah, she is.”

Kyungsoo hung back but had a fond look on his face. “Have you chosen a name?”

“Not yet,” Junmyeon answered. They hadn’t ended up finding out the sex of the baby before the birth, deciding they wanted it to be a surprise. The name was something they wanted to think about too.

“Good job with the presentation today,” Junmyeon said, almost forgetting. “I caught some of it before I came in.”

Chanyeol turned away from the baby, his face flushed with happiness. “Thanks. I liked doing it.”

Junmyeon decided to file that information away for future use. 

The four of them chatted quietly for a few minutes, Chanyeol even holding the baby for a little bit (while seated because he was terrified he would drop her if he was standing, a fear that Kyungsoo seemed to share). When the nurse returned and offered to take the baby back to the nursery, the visitors said their goodbyes and left Sehun and Junmyeon alone. 

Junmyeon let his exhaustion take over again, closing his eyes and settling back. Sehun sat in the chair next to the bed, his hand resting on top of Junmyeon’s. Through the Blood Link, he could feel Sehun’s happiness, his joy. It made Junmyeon smile. It made him feel good. 

“You made me an offer a few months ago,” Junmyeon said, eyes still closed. 

“Hmm?” Sehun asked. 

“You said if I wanted…” he let the idea hang in the air between them.

“If you wanted to be changed. Yes. I did say that.”

“I want it,” Junmyeon said. “I realized it today. I want it.”

“Let’s talk about it another day; today has been crazy,” Sehun said, patting his hand. 

“Fine. But I mean it.” Junmyeon knew his own mind. And he knew what he had decided. He wasn’t going to take it back. Not if the alternative was losing this. 

And he knew that Sehun would feel his sincerity through the Blood Link. Perhaps they had done it all backward, the completely wrong way. But it worked, for them. 

Junmyeon smiled when he felt Sehun press a kiss to his brow and whisper words of love. 

“I love you too,” Junmyeon mumbled as he let sleep take over, leaving all the details for another day. 


	23. Epilogue

The first thing Yoo Yeonseok did after stepping into the Pororo themed monstrosity of a restaurant was accidentally pop a balloon. And then he was sprayed by a squirt gun wielded by an excited child– except the water wasn’t clear. It was  _ blue _ . He frowned; his four-thousand-dollar fur coat was absolutely ruined. How unfortunate.

If that series of unfortunate events wasn’t enough already, he had no more than made ten steps towards the dining area than he was hit in the shin by another small creature, this one most certainly a lycan judging by the wild look in its eye. He blinked up at Yeonseok and then ran off, a cardboard birthday hat sitting askew on his head. 

Yeonseok took a deep breath and tried to calm his mind. He had left his bodyguards outside. He didn’t want to cause a scene. Yifan had warned him that he had to behave or risk another few centuries of Sehun ignoring him. 

“Whatever your instinct is,” Yifan had said over the telephone. “Do the opposite.” Right _. Okay. _

Adults. Yes, he could see adults in the dining area. The tables had been rearranged and pushed together to clear out space for the hellion children to… do whatever they did, but there were actual adults gathered around a table with wrapped presents. Vampires and lycans, he could sense it. 

Yeonseok squared his shoulders and walked towards the table. He saw Prince Jongdae first, his loudest son. He was a good boy, except… he was talking to a lycan. Yeonseok didn’t like the looks of it, the way Jongdae was leaning in, his arm resting on the lycans shoulder. What was the lycan’s name… Yeonseok had dossiers on most of them. Byun something– he worked with Junmyeon. 

When Jongdae noticed his father, he nodded his head in deference. Yeonseok nodded back. More lycans. So many lycans, most of them frowning at the old vampire who walked among them. He had no doubt his reputation preceded him. 

Yeonseok caught sight of Prince Yixing, his second son. He was talking animatedly with another group of lycans.  _ Ugh _ , they were everywhere. Standing near him was Do Kyungsoo, Prince Sehun’s bodyguard. His arm was around a tall alpha lycan, Park Chanyeol. They had some sort of relationship, Yeonseok had learned. But unlike that between Prince Sehun and Prince Junmyeon, it hadn’t yet progressed to a turning, though he wouldn’t be surprised if that petition ever ended up making it to his court. 

Ah yes, the turning. The energy of a young vampire was always an interesting experience. Yeonseok smiled as he took in the sight of his youngest son and his husband, standing behind a mound of presents. Junmyeon was holding a small girl in his arms, her dark black hair falling around her face in tight curls. She had chubby cheeks and bright eyes, her cheeks pink. She was a lycan, no doubt, but her father, the one that held her, was now a vampire. Yeonseok had approved the change himself. Call it a sorry-I-fucked-up-son present to Sehun. 

Yeonseok cleared his throat as he approached, getting the young family’s attention. They didn’t look happy to see him, per se, but not enraged either. Indifferent? Perhaps they were indifferent. 

“How is my lovely granddaughter,” Yeonseok asked, leaning in to put himself at eye level with the chubby-cheeked girl. 

She stared at him. “Papa,” she asked Junmyeon. “Who is the scary man?”

Sehun snorted out a laugh.

“That’s your grandfather,” Junmyeon said. “Grandfather Yeonseok.”

“Prince Yeonseok,” he corrected.

“Grandfather Yeonseok,” Junmyeon repeated.

Yeonseok gritted his teeth. Sehun snorted out another laugh. 

“But I already have a grandfather,” she said, defiant.

“What a smart girl,” A voice sounded from behind him. 

Yeonseok turned to see Kim Ji Hoon and his wife sidle up to the table, the Lycan leader’s expression bright. “Of course, you already have a grandfather. The only grandfather you need.” He held his arms out, their shared granddaughter eagerly reaching for her  _ only _ grandfather. 

Yeonseok ignored them. “And how have you been?” he asked Sehun. 

Sehun shrugged. “Busy at home. I like being a house husband. Who knew.”

“That’s…” Yeonseok had no idea what he was supposed to say. He settled on saying, “Nice.”

“And your company?” Yeonseok asked Junmyeon.

“Record profits this year,” Junmyeon answered. “Can’t complain.”

Yeonseok nodded. Beside him, Ji Hoon was cuddling their granddaughter. It looked so natural, the way he held her as she told him about some cartoon _something or other_ she liked and something about a toy or, wait was that a toy? Yeonseok hadn’t the faintest idea. He suddenly felt very old and out of place. But happy they had invited him. 

“Well then, I think I’ll leave you all to your party,” he said. He pulled the card he had purchased from the inside of his jacket and handed it to Sehun. “For the birthday girl.”

Sehun took the card and set it on top of the pile of presents. “Thanks, father.”

“It’s nice that you’ve stayed,” Yeonseok said. “I hope you and your family stay for a long time.”

Sehun nodded, not making a promise to stay or go. 

Yeonseok nodded in goodbye to Junmyeon and the others before turning and walking towards the exit. He avoided another few mishaps with the energetic children, having had enough bruised shins for the year. He was almost to the door when it hit him. 

“This used to be a Buddhist temple,” he said, a finger held high like he was making some grand announcement. Yes, eight hundred years ago, give or take, he could vividly recall that a temple once stood on this site and – he turned around. People were staring. 

Yeonseok dipped his head again and turned with a flourish. That was enough children’s birthday parties for the year. Good thing, he decided, he had, and would only ever have, one grandchild he had to worry about. 

END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story as it was posting, and to all of those who have waited patiently for it to finish posting before diving in. I hope you have enjoyed this chaotic mashup of genres because I had too much fun cobbling this idea together. Kudos and comments are appreciated (seriously I will love you forever if you do) and ofc come bother me on twitter (@london9calling)or curious cat (lukfc) if you are so inclined. Until the next fic ~ <3

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come say hello / ask me questions / yell at me / partake in my rambling nonsense on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/London9Calling) or [Curious Cat.](https://curiouscat.me/LuKFC)


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